Where You Lead
by justanoutlaw
Summary: Gilmore Girls AU. Neal Cassidy left his stuffy upbringing 10 years ago to give his son the childhood he never had. When Henry gets into a fancy prep school and Neal can't afford it, he has to turn to his father and new "step mom" for help.
1. You Need Money

**Because you can't put too many ships in the FF list: Rumbelle, eventual Swanfire and Glass Believer. Platonic family: Papafire, Believerfire, Swan Believer, BeautyFire and some other various Once friendships.**

Neal shifted back and forth from one foot to another as he stared at the overwhelming pink mansion that had once been his home.

He was doing it for Henry, it was all for Henry.

Funny, that had been the reason he had left in the first place.

Neal Cassidy had once been Neal Gold, the son of Wren Gold. Wren was a wealthy professor, who taught at his alma mater: Yale University. His childhood had been a stuffy one. Wren had once been fun loving and free…up until his wife left him. He suddenly had all sorts of expectations of his son. Maybe to their world, they weren't too bad, but to Neal he wanted nothing more than to escape the world of the privileged. They were too stuck up, they didn't care about anyone else. Gold didn't seem to care, he had his son attend cotillions and debutante balls. He'd be a Gold man, just like the rest. The only problem was, when you held on so tight…the child was bound to pull away.

His rebellion had been small at first. He'd skip classes, refuse to attend the different galas his father wanted to. His father wanted him to end up with Tamara Chandler, daughter of one of his best friends. Instead, he had chosen Emma Swan. She was the wayward foster daughter to the Nolans. It was young love, but they felt it was real.

Then Emma got pregnant. They were only 16 and lots of suggestions got tossed around. In the end, Henry was born and Emma took off, feeling she was just much too young to be a parent. She stayed in contact with Henry throughout the years, but not in the way a mother would.

As for Neal, he stayed with his father, for a year. It didn't take long for him to realize that it wasn't the life that he wanted, for him or his son. So, he took off in the middle of the night. He found himself a job as a busboy at Granny's Inn and worked his way up the ranks. At only 26, he was in a good place, he was happy. He spoke to his father a bit and saw him on holidays, but the strain was there. His father was still hurting that he took off without a word.

Now, it wasn't Christmas or Easter. It was just Neal…feeling completely desperate. He would've refused, if his friend, Robin, hadn't talked some sense into him.

"It's for the kid. Won't the price be worth it?"

Finally, he let out a deep breath and rang the doorbell. The door opened and a petite brunette stood on the other side. For a moment, he wondered if it was the housekeeper, until he took in her outfit. She was wearing a light blue dress and black pumps, didn't look much older than him.

"Can I help you?" She asked.

"I'm here to see Wren."

"May I ask what this is regarding?"

Neal sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm his son."

The woman smiled brightly. "Neal! It is so great to meet you. I'm Belle, your father's wife."

He blinked a few times. "Wife? But you're…my age."

She chuckled. "I'm actually 30."

"4 years isn't a lot."

"It's a long story, come in, come in. I've heard so much about you."

And Neal had heard nothing of her. He wasn't sure why he was so surprised. It wasn't like he and his father talked outside the rare holiday. Even so, his father hadn't dated when he was young. Sure, he'd have people on his arm for different events, that was expected. Marriage, though? He hadn't thought that was possible after his mother left.

Neal followed her inside and into the living room. "Wren, look who's here," Belle said.

Wren looked up from his newspaper, raising an eyebrow. "Neal. Christmas, already?"

Neal forced a chuckle. "Hey, Pop."

His father clutched his cane and forced himself up, nodding a bit. "Scotch? Coffee?"

"I'm fine, thank you. I promise I won't take long. I just wanted to talk to you about something."

Wren looked him up and down. "You need money."

Neal winced. How did his father always know? "Henry has been accepted to Arendelle Preparatory."

Belle grinned. "That's a wonderful school, it's only 10 minutes from here."

"That's right," Neal sent a grateful smile to Belle for keeping things less tense. "The problem is, they want me to put down an enrollment fee. If I don't, he'll lose his spot and he's just worked so hard to get in…"

"So, you need money," Wren repeated, dryly.

Neal sighed. "It'd be a loan, I'd pay you back. I never ask for favors."

"Oh, yes, I'm well aware."

"Wren," Belle fixed him with a look.

Neal was surprised to see his father's features soften when he looked at Belle. Suddenly, it was as if he were a different man. Perhaps, even the man he once was before Milah left. He slowly collected himself and turned back to his son.

"Henry deserves only the best and I never liked that he attended public school. So, I will write you a check and I'll cover his tuition."

Well, that had been painless. "Thank you," Neal said, sincerely. "Pop, you have no clue how much this means to us…"

"However, there's a condition."

Of course. His father was a law professor at Yale, everything always came with conditions. "What is it?"

"If I'm financially involved in your life, I want to be more in your life overall." He drummed his fingers over the cane, slowly smiling. "I want a weekly dinner. You, Henry, every Friday night."

Neal felt his stomach drop. His father was good, too good. He knew he'd be willing to do anything to get Henry into this school. Including this. His father couldn't just set up a payment plan like a normal person and say "See you at Christmas." No, everything had to be tricky.

He had ran away from home for a reason. He loved the life that he and Henry had built in Stars Hollow. It was quiet, yet quirky. They had at least one meal a day at Granny's Diner, where they'd banter with Ruby. He got to watch Robin do his own flirty banter with their liquor supplier, Regina. Their lives were happy and full.

Having dinner with his father once a week would require stepping back into a world he vowed to never show Henry to.

Yet…wasn't that what he was doing by allowing him to attend Arendelle Prep? All of those kids would probably be in the same situation he had grown up in. He could only hope that they were better behaved and more grounded.

It was once a week, a few hours every Friday night. Henry always asked about his grandfather, why they never saw him much. He had Mary Margaret and David, Emma's former foster parents, but they hadn't known her very long. This was a real connection to his family. Plus, this Belle seemed to be keeping his father a bit more grounded himself.

"I don't want Henry to know I borrowed the money," he said, finally. "Can that please stay between us?"

"I'll see you tomorrow at 7. You'll get the check before you go."

Neal blew out some air through his nose, feeling the weight lifted off his chest.

You're doing this for Henry. It's all for Henry.


	2. Emma Returns

**queen-of-the-merry-man prompted: I love it! If I had to prompt you for another scene it would be Neal confronting Emma about how she left. **

Neal could still remember the day he realized that Emma wasn't coming back.

Sure, they had talked about Neal getting full custody of Henry, but she was supposed to come around for visits. She missed the first one, then the second.

By the time he was 2 months old, Emma hadn't seen Henry at all. And he found out from the Nolans that she had packed up, not to be seen since. It hurt, a lot. His father told him that he could do better, that he deserved better. He assured him that in 2 years, he'd attend Yale and meet someone worthy of a Gold man.

It didn't help, not in the way Wren assumed it would.

Emma had been his first love, his first time. She was silly yet wise beyond her years. She had been through so much and treated him with such kindness. She was the distraction he needed from every party or fundraiser they were dragged to by their parents. Heck, Henry had been conceived at a gala for some endangered animal or another.

Yet, it wasn't just losing his first love. It was the pain of knowing that Henry had lost his mother. Neal hated the pain that Milah left when she walked out, it was a hole that could never be replaced. He never wanted his son to feel that, not once. So, he did his best those first few years to make it as if he wasn't missing anything. Henry was so young, he didn't notice it. He adored his father and hung off his every word.

Neal couldn't give him the world on a bus boy's salary, but he managed to throw him a small 2nd birthday. Robin was working in the kitchen at the time and whipped up a cake, which the three of them devoured along with Ruby and Granny. They holed up in the small loft above the inn that Granny rented to him for very little, sharing memories of the past year that Henry and Neal had been in Stars Hollow.

Once they had left and Henry was sleeping off his sugar coma, Neal puttered around the loft cleaning up. There was a knock at the door and for a moment, he assumed that Robin was back for his phone. Oh, was he surprised to find Emma on the other side of the door.

"Hi," she said, softly.

Neal blinked a couple of times. "Hi?"

"I know, I'm the last person you want to see right now."

"No, that place still goes to my parents. You're up there, though. What the hell, Emma?"

Emma stared at him, immune to his anger. "Can we please talk?"

Neal looked back at Henry, who was still passed out on the bed they shared. He stepped out into the hall, shutting the door halfway.

"Five minutes."

"Look, I told you from the start that I wanted to give Henry up for adoption," she whispered. "I thought it was what's best."

He nodded, remembering the arguments they had over it quite well. He saw her side, but he couldn't imagine giving his child up. "And I told you I wanted to keep him. I said that I would raise him, all you had to do was see him."

"It was hard, okay?"

"And you think it's been a picnic for me?!" Neal gestured to the hallway. "Do you see where we are? What I had to do to keep my son away from that old life? The one you just ran away from."

"It seems like you did the same."

"Yes, but I took our son with us. I've been busting my ass to provide for him, I can barely take care of myself. And it's not as if we get any support from you."

"I wasn't ready," Emma's voice broke and tears filled her eyes. "I'm still not sure I am."

"Then why are you here?"

"Because being a part from him hurts. I think about him all the time and I…I miss him. I thought it'd be easier to stay away, but it hasn't been."

Neal stared at her, not wanting to feel bad and yet, he couldn't help it. He knew that his choice to parent had torn her apart. Was it really fair that because one was ready and the other wasn't at such a young age, it meant that whatever choice they made had to be permanent?

"What are you suggesting?"

"I want a relationship with him. I know I can't be his mom, but maybe…like an open adoption? You send me updates, I visit when I'm in town. When he's old enough, maybe we can trade letters and phone calls?"

Neal chewed on his lip. "And you're not going to disappear again?"

"No."

He wanted to tell her she was crazy, that this wasn't an adoption. Henry had done fine without her for 2 years, he didn't need her then. Especially if it was just going to be in and out, never really being the mother he deserved.

Yet, he thought about his own mother. Would it have helped if she had sent a letter, at least once? Or if she had come by to visit? Maybe. And if he found out she had offered and his father had refused…well he for sure would resent him for it. Would Henry feel the same in 10 years time?

"You can't just show up unannounced like this," Neal said. "He has a life, a routine."

Emma wiped her tears away. "Of course, of course."

"You also can't just walk in and out. I'm not saying you have to be there every month, but we can't go 2 years at a time without seeing you."

"I won't. I promise."

The next 8 years, Emma stuck to her promise for the most part. They saw her once or twice a year. She called Henry on the phone when he got older and they'd write letters. Emma would even send presents from wherever she was in the world. She wasn't a mother, but she was like a cool aunt, another part of the family.

It wasn't perfect and many times, Neal wondered if he had made the right choice. Yet, he knew it was better to keep the door open then slamming it shut.


	3. Broken Dreams

**Anonymous on Tumblr prompted: Where You Lead Prompt: Flashback, Neal and Emma tell Gold that Emma is pregnant.**

Emma's fingers laced through Neal's and he felt like he was going to be sick. Processing that he was going to be a father was hard enough…telling his own was going to be a whole other thing.

Mary Margaret and David already knew. They were shocked, but accepting. Most foster parents probably would've kicked Emma out, but they told her that she could continue to stay with them and that they'd help with the baby as much as they could. The only problem was, Emma wasn't sure if she wanted to parent. Neal was dead set against adoption and knew there was a chance he could go into this as a single parent, but as of right now, he and Emma were still together.

That wasn't going to help matters. His father hated Emma. If he had gotten Tamara pregnant, it still would've been a problem, but at the very least, he'd approve of his choice of woman.

"Ready for this?" She whispered.

Neal swallowed, hard. "As I'll ever be."

They made their way into his office where he was going over his lesson plan. For the first 13 years of Neal's life, Wren had been a criminal defense attorney with a great success rate. He had a lot of options of what to do when he decided to leave the practice. He could've become a judge or maybe even do some writing on his time, but instead he had taken a job at his alma mater, Yale University. It was an hour commute from their home in Greenwich, but he enjoyed it.

"Pop?" Neal asked, causing his father to look up at him. "Can we talk to you?"

Wren pushed aside the plan and rose to his feet, clutching his cane. "If this is about spring break again, I already told you that I'm not funding a trip to Florida."

"We know, we understand." He let out a deep breath. "It's just…Emma's pregnant."

Silence filled the room and it made Neal uncomfortable. He had felt his father's disappointment several times throughout his life and he hated when he was lectured, but sometimes the silence was even worse.

"How are you sure this is your child?" Wren asked.

Emma scowled. "Neal's the only guy I've ever been with."

Wren gave her a look of disbelief. "So, you'd be okay with a DNA test?"

"Pop!" Neal threw his hands in the air. "I know it's my baby, trust me. Emma would never cheat on me and anyway…the timing adds up."

He shook his head. "I knew this would happen, I knew as soon as you two got involved, she would be the one who dragged you down."

"You are aware it takes two to make a baby, don't you, Mr. Gold?" Emma interrupted. "It's not like I did this on my own."

"Neal was a good boy before you came around. He was on his way to a future…"

"And I can still have a good future!" Neal exclaimed. "This baby doesn't have to change anything."

"Oh, I'll make sure it won't. If you two plan on keeping this child, then I won't allow you to be drop outs and just bum around. You," he turned to Neal. "Will go to Yale, as planned. I have connections, I can make sure you can intern at my old firm. Emma, I will pay for you to go to college as well and arrange for you to have a good job."

Neal wasn't sure why he was so surprised. His father had tried to arrange his future since he was a small child. College was never an if, it was a when and only an Ivy League would do. (Yale preferred, of course.) He would graduate with honors and go to law or med school, become Wren Gold's version of success.

It was never what he wanted, but that didn't matter.

Deep down, he knew that his father was just trying to make sure that this baby didn't delay their plans…but it wasn't the plans that they wanted.

"I don't want to go to college," Emma said. "I never have."

"How do you expect this child to have a good future if you don't take your own seriously?"

"I can have a good future without college."

Wren looked at his son. "And do you feel this way?"

Neal sighed. "Pop, I want to go to college, but I don't want to be you. You can't control this situation. I'm very glad you want to help, but…"

"There is no but to it. If you two are going to keep this child, this is how you have to do it. Now, onto the next part, the wedding."

"The wedding?!" Emma looked over at Neal with wide eyes.

"Pop, we're not getting married," Neal clarified.

"She's pregnant, you have to get married."

"No, we don't. We're too young."

"Oh, I see. You're too young to get married, but you're plenty old enough to have a child." He rolled his eyes. "You two will see I'm right in time. Now, if you'll excuse me, I should phone the Nolans and see what their plans are regarding this."

Without another word, he exited the study. Emma leaned against the desk, shaking her head.

"I'm not moving in here," she said. "And I'm not marrying you."

"You think I want to get married either?" Neal rubbed his temples in frustration. "Look, he'll calm down. He'll give us space…"

"Your dad? Neal, you never even told us our real plans for after high school. Tallahassee? Being free?"

He frowned, thinking of it all. They'd travel, they'd go everywhere in her clunky yellow bug. They'd end up in Tallahassee and open a food truck or something. All of that seemed like a lost dream at this point.

"We can't do that now," he whispered. "Not with…" He trailed off, gesturing to her stomach.

"We could. All you have to do is write a note to your dad and leave. We could be gone by tomorrow, Neal. Just say "Dear Dad, I can't be here, I'm going somewhere else." We don't have to follow his plan."

Emma was right. She was the first one to get away from it all, as heartbreaking as it was. Neal would follow 10 months later, leaving in the middle of the night with Henry snuggled up in his arms. Wren would wake up the next morning to find a note and feel the pain that he did when Milah left all those years ago.


	4. Friday Night's Alright For Fighting

**Takes place the day after the first installment.**

Neal settled into the booth across from Henry the morning after talking to his dad. Ruby walked over to the table, wearing her usual uniform: red flannel and skinny jeans.

"Know what you want?" She asked.

"You okay?" Neal asked.

"It's busy."

"It always is. Yet, you normally at least give us a smile."

Ruby forced one before rolling her eyes. "I was supposed to have help this morning, but Dorothy is sick. Now, order please."

Neal chuckled. "Eggs, over easy."

"French toast," Henry added. "With berries."

"Coming right up." Ruby walked off, ruffling his hair before she did.

Neal smiled at his son. "So, how does it feel for it to be your last day at Storybrooke Day?"

"It's kinda weird." He shrugged. "I mean, I'm excited for Arendelle, I'm just going to miss Mulan a lot."

Neal nodded sympathetically. Mulan and Henry had been best friends since they were in pre-school. They had the same interest in music, books and superheroes Henry was probably one of the few kids to not tease her about her name, which was probably what made him the best friend she'd ever had.

He had a soft spot for Mulan out of all the kids in Storybrooke. Mulan's parents were extremely religious and also very overprotective. They had exact plans for her and she shouldn't dare question them. Mrs. Fa didn't approve of Neal being a single parent, let alone one that had a kid at 16, but she allowed the kids to play together. Neal could relate to how Mulan felt a lot of the time, just wanting to be a kid and not having to worry about lectures about going to hell. He respected the Fas, but he did keep his door open to the little girl as a safe haven. It was something he wished he had as a kid.

"I know, but you two will still get to see each other a lot," Neal assured him. "In fact, how about we go see the new Marvel flick with her tomorrow night?"

"Why can't we go tonight?"

Neal flinched. Henry had been asleep by the time he had come home from his father's the night before and he figured it wasn't exactly news you woke a kid up to tell.

"We're going to your grandfather's."

Henry raised an eyebrow. "It's not a holiday."

"I know."

"So, why are we going?"

"Well, he's married now…"

"Grandpa got married?"

"Yes, to a very nice woman named Belle. They want to have dinner with us now, every Friday night."

"Seriously?" He scrunched up his face off Neal's nod. "But…we barely see him."

It took all Neal had not to sigh dramatically. "I know, kid."

"And now we have to have dinner with him every week?"

"It's important for you to get to know your grandfather."

"And it wasn't for the past decade?"

"Look, we're just going, okay? I don't often ask you to go with what I say without question, for once can you just do that?"

Henry stared at him for a moment before nodding. He trusted his dad, he was just really confused.

***x***

That night, the two stood in front of the mansion. Clearly, neither wanted to be the first to ring the doorbell. Henry loved his grandfather, but he barely knew him. He'd see him a few times a year, occasionally they traded phone calls or gifts, but that was it. He knew his father had a rough childhood and it made him feel bad sometimes for wanting to get to know him better.

"Do we just stand here forever?" Henry asked.

Neal let out a deep breath. "No, no." He rang the doorbell and a moment later, the door opened revealing Belle.

"Neal, it's so great to see you again." She turned to Henry. "And you must be Henry. I'm Belle…"

"My new grandma?" Henry asked.

The color drained from Belle's face and Neal snorted. "Bud, I think we should stick to calling her "Belle", she's not much older than me."

"That'd be good, thank you," Belle said, relieved. "Won't you come in?"

She lead the two inside and into the den, where Wren was fixing drinks. He looked up and smiled, walking over to his family.

"Henry, it's so good to see you. You've gotten so tall," he said.

Henry nodded. "I'm one of the tallest in my class."

"Of course. You get that from your father."

Neal couldn't help but a smirk at that. His father was on the shorter side and he was told he inherited his height from his mother. He could tell that this time around, his father had found someone his own height. He towered above Belle, but he could already tell that she could probably take him.

"So, tell me all about your new school," Wren said.

Henry shrugged. "I haven't started yet, I will on Monday. I went on a tour a few months ago and it seems really cool. They have a lot of English classes and that's my specialty."

"You know, I have my own bookstore," Belle added. "I'd be happy to help you get any one you needed."

"That'd be cool!" Henry's eyes lit up with excitement and he looked up at his father. "Can we go to Belle's bookstore?"

"I don't see why not."

A housekeeper stepped out, her hands neatly folded in front of her.

"Mr. Gold, dinner is ready."

"Let's retire to the dining room," Wren announced.

Neal began to think maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Henry and Belle were chatting each other's ears off about books, giving each other recommendations. Wren and Neal watched the exchange with a mix of pride and shock. Neal really thought that maybe, just maybe, Belle would be the saving grace.

Until Henry mentioned that one of the books he got were a birthday present from his mom.

"Ah, how is Miss Swan?" Wren asked, the smile slipping from his face.

Neal did his best to keep his own on his face. "She's doing well. According to the postcard we got yesterday, she's in Arizona."

"Must be nice to get to travel so much," Belle said, sending her husband a warning look.

"Oh yes, it's so great to get to party and take pictures, while your child's father busts his butt as an innkeeper provide for his son."

Henry shifted uncomfortably in his seat and Neal's smile officially dropped as well.

"Pop, a word," he said.

"We're eating."

"The roast can wait. Kitchen. Now."

Wren rolled his eyes, but followed his son into the kitchen.

"Do you have to do this?" Neal hissed.

"Do what?"

"Bash Emma in front of Henry?"

"Bashing would imply that I'm not saying anything true. Is she not off taking photos while you work?"

"That's none of your business! There's nothing wrong with what I do, I take good care of me and my son."

"I know you love your job, but you were destined for Yale!" Wren exclaimed. "You could've done anything with your life and now…"

"Now, I'm happy! Why can't you accept that? Why has this never been enough?" Neal threw his hands in the air. "All my life, I told you that Yale wasn't what I wanted! I wanted to be happy and now I am!"

"Yes, I know, you're so happy in that small town, so far away from me."

"God, Dad!" Neal grinded his teeth. "Do you not see why I left? Are you really that blind? You spent every day for 17 years making me feel like my dreams were stupid! Telling me that's not how Gold men behaved? Doesn't it speak volumes to you that this is the first dinner we've had outside a holiday since I was 16? Do you even realize why that is?"

"You know what, maybe I wouldn't cared that you left, if you had bothered to tell me!"

"I did tell you!"

"A note. You left a note." Wren's eyes narrowed. "I want you to imagine something, son. Imagine waking up one morning and looking all over for your son, your grandson. When you come up short, you're terrified. You're worried something happened to them. Then you find a note." The word slipped off his tongue as if it was a dirty word. "A note that says that your son can't take it anymore, can't take you. He's gone, he's taken that beautiful grandchild that you've fallen in love with-one you've helped raise for the past year mind you. He says he'll call you when he's ready to talk and doesn't mention where he's going. You try calling his cell, but it's disconnected."

Neal's father being angry was nothing new to him, but the hurt in his eyes was. His mouth dropped open and he tried to find words to say, to make it better, but he couldn't. He had never meant to hurt his dad, he was just doing what was best for him. He never knew…Wren never said…

"Then he doesn't call you for months and when he does, it's only to give you a new address and to refuse to come home. Then you barely see him or your grandson for 9 years until magically, your son needs money. That's the only reason he dares to grace your presence outside Christmas."

If Neal didn't know his father better, he would've sworn that his voice was cracking.

"Pop," Neal whispered. "I didn't…I didn't know."

"Well, there you go, my boy," Wren concluded. "You have your check, I have my dinners." He looked back towards the dining room. "Belle and Henry are waiting on us. We better go."

With that, he was gone. Neal stood there, his eyes still wide. Slowly, he swallowed and tried to collect himself. For the past 9 years, all he had thought about was what his father did to him and that still mattered. Nothing could take that back or excuse it.

But it was the first time he realized that maybe there wasn't a villain to that story. Just two very hurt and angry men.


	5. Emma Returns 20

**queen-of-the-merry-men prompted: Scene request: Emma telling Neal she's ready to be a part of Henry's life. Extra angst if you got it.**

Neal walked into the house with Henry, tossing his keys into the tiny dish. A few months ago, they had finally been able to leave their cramped loft and move into their new house. It wasn't anything fancy, nothing like the one he grew up in, but it was cozy. They each had their own room and the bathroom was separated by walls, not just a floral curtain. He missed the loft sometimes, it was where Henry had taken his first steps, said his first words…but it was time to start fresh.

"Dad…" Neal looked down at Henry, it was the first word he had spoken since dinner. "Grandpa said you only came to him because of money."

"Bud…"

"He's paying for my school, isn't he?"

Neal sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "The financial aid package didn't come through, bud. I had to do it."

"I don't have to go to Arendelle, you know. I could…"

"Hey, listen to me." Neal placed his hands on Henry's shoulders. "I am the adult, it is my job to worry about money. This school is a once in a lifetime opportunity. You have all those dreams about Harvard, Henry-more than I think most kids your age would. This is the only way for you to get in there, so I'll do it."

"But you hate Grandpa."

"I don't hate him. It's just…it's complicated. Your grandpa had a lot of ideas for how my life should go and I never agreed."

"That's why you ran away?"

"Yes. And tonight, I realized that just because I was hurting, doesn't mean it was okay for me to hurt his feelings."

Henry looked even more bewildered by that sentiment. "Grandpa's feelings were hurt?"

"I took off with no word, I didn't speak to him for awhile. I don't regret leaving, but maybe I didn't handle it in the best way, bud."

Henry nodded. "For what it's worth…I'm glad you did. I can't imagine growing up there."

Neal smiled, ruffling his hair. "I know, kid. Me either. Now, go get ready for bed, it's getting late." As Henry started walking off, he called him back. "Just know…I wouldn't change what I did for the world. Including keeping you."

Henry smiled a little bit. "I know."

Once he was out of sight, Neal let out a deep breath. They had left quickly after dinner ended and didn't have time for drinks. He needed one, badly. Padding to the fridge, he grabbed one and was about to crack it open when his cell rang. Emma's name popped up on the screen and he tilted his head. She had already called this week.

"Hey," he said, cradling the phone between his ear and shoulder. "Henry's getting ready for bed, but you can talk to him real quick."

"Actually…I wanted to talk to you."

"Oh?"

"I think I've done all I can in Arizona, it's time for me to move again."

Neal couldn't say he was surprised. Emma barely stayed in one place for long. "Where to now?"

"Stars Hollow."

"Stars Hollow," he repeated. "As in Stars Hollow, Connecticut. For how long?"

"For…good."

Silence. Dead silence.

"Neal, are you still there?"

"I'm still here."

"I know this is a shock."

"No shit. What brought this about?"

"I've been thinking about the choices I made, for a while now. I started tying up loose ends, I called the Nolans, apologized for just taking off. I made plans to see them and an old foster sister of mine…and I realized the person I really wanted to work things out with was Henry."

"He's fine with how things are."

"I know. And I know he has you and that's all he needs…but I want to be there more. I want to see him more, not every day obviously…but more than just once a month or whatever. I'm not looking for custody or anything, just a chance. I got this loft and a job, permanent, stable."

"And I'm supposed to trust you?" Neal asked, starting to pace around. "Emma, you haven't stayed in one place since you were in the system."

"I'm aware of my address."

"You don't get to be the sarcastic one here. You're planning on moving to my town, you want to be in Henry's life more when you've been a fun aunt at most for the past 8 years."

Emma let out a low hiss, but clearly knew he was right and couldn't rebut.

"I left the door open to you for so long, I waited for you to come back and now…now you're ready?"

"I was a kid when I made the choices I did. And as much as I wished we had gone with adoption back then, I'm glad we didn't."

"I'm sure, if you had gone with adoption, this wouldn't be an option at this point."

"Neal."

"Well, it's true."

"Like I said, I'm not stupid. I don't to be able to parent him like you do or to even get to have him spend the night that often. I just want a chance to fix my mistakes, to try to finally be the mom I should've been 10 years ago. The truth is, Neal you're an amazing father. Whenever I'm with Henry, he won't stop talking about you. I know I made the right choice by letting him go with you, but I should've stayed. I know that now. I can't go back in time and change that, but I can change how I am going forward."

Neal was quiet again, absorbing her information. He knew that he was lucky in the sense that Emma had the decency to tell him first. She could move to Stars Hollow if she wanted, she didn't need his permission for that. He would for her to see Henry, though. He had full, sole custody, she didn't even have visitation rights. Not that he thought Emma would even attempt to go to court, but if she did, she wouldn't have a case.

He thought of Milah. He hadn't seen her since he was 5-years-old and she took off with her new boyfriend. Whenever he got mad at his father, he imagined what it'd be like for her to come back, for them to have a relationship. He wanted it more than anything in the world.

Neal saw the same light in Henry's eyes whenever he spoke of or to Emma. He had always left the door open and Henry got excited whenever she came back through it. He trusted that this time it'd be for good and that scared the shit out of him. For 10 years, he had been the one to parent Henry. He had made all the choices, he had been the one constant in his life.

Could he let someone else in, to be another parent? To share him? Was it really what was best?

"I don't deserve a second chance," Emma continued when he still didn't say anything. "But if you give it to me, I promise I won't screw it up."

Neal shut his eyes, tilting his head back. "It's not just what I want. I have to talk to Henry."

"I understand."

"If I give this to you, Emma…you can't just choose to skip out when things get hard."

"I don't plan to."

"Don't hurt him."

Or me.

"I won't."

Neal could hear the sink turn off upstairs. Henry was probably done brushing his teeth. "I have to go. I'll call you in the morning."

"Okay."

Neal headed up the stairs and found Henry lounging on his bed, reading a comic book. He couldn't believe how grown up he was getting. In just a few years, he'd be a teenager. Already, he hated being called "baby boy" anymore. Long gone was the little kid that hung off his every word and thought he was the coolest person alive.

That also meant he was old enough to be apart of the decision making process. He hadn't when Emma first came back around, but he never seemed to mind how things were.

"Hey bud," he sat on the edge of his bed and Henry lowered his comic book.

"I heard you talking to someone, who was it?"

"Your mom, actually."

Henry's face lit up. "Is she coming to visit?"

"A little more than that…she wants to move here."

"Really?"

"Yeah, she got a job and an apartment. She wants to be a bigger part of your life."

"Oh.'

Neal tried to keep his face even. "Is that something you'd want?"

"I mean…I always wanted that. I just didn't think she did."

"Henry, your mom has always loved you. She just…"

"Wasn't ready. And now she is, I guess." He sighed. "What did you tell her?"

"That I had to talk to you. If you don't want this, we don't have to. I can tell her that you'll see her on your terms and that's how it is now, that's okay."

"That's not what I want. I just…I don't want to hurt you."

"Oh Henry." Neal moved closer to his son and put an arm around him. "This isn't going to hurt me."

"You love Mom."

Neal paused. "I don't love her…I mean, I care about her. I'll always care about her and maybe I love her because she gave me you…but it's not like…"

"Dad, I see the way you look at her whenever we see her. You've barely dated anyone."

"That's not true. I just don't bring them home."

"You spend time with either me or Robin or both of us plus Roland."

"I hang out with Ruby and Dorothy sometimes, too."

"Doesn't count. They're gay, so it's not like they're girlfriend material."

Neal sometimes hated how smart his son was. "Your mother being around isn't going to hurt me. I'm fine. I just want to make sure that you are."

"I am."

"Good. Then I'll tell her that we can work something out."

"Good."

Henry was giving Neal a look, one that matched the one the latter gave the former whenever he didn't buy what he was saying.

Jesus, sometimes he was too much of a Gold man for his own good.


	6. Henry's First Day At Arendelle

** imgilmoregirl prompted: Oh, may I prompt Henry's first day at Arendelel? The scene with all Gold man at the principal's office?**

Neal loved sleep, probably more than the average person. When he was a new dad and lacked it, he took naps whenever he could. Now that Henry was older, his cycle was getting back to a normal routine. He wouldn't get 8 hours, but it was enough to keep him recharged.

Then there were the times he overslept.

"Dad!"

Neal's eyes flickered open and he blinked a few times to adjust to the blurry boy standing before him. After a few times, he realized it was Henry.

"Kid, what the heck?" He yawned and scratched his scruff. "It's early."

"It's 7:10!"

"No, it's a quarter to six."

"No, it's 7:10!"

Henry thrusted an alarm clock in his face and Neal gasped when he saw the glowing red numbers.

"Crap!"

He got out of bed and headed straight for the bathroom, ignoring Henry going on and on about how they were going to be late. He was halfway through brushing his teeth when he remembered something…

All of his suits were at the cleaners.

"Shit," he mumbled to himself, walking out and digging through his drawers again. "Shit, shit, shit."

"Dad! We're going to be…"

"Kid, I know. Just go downstairs, grab a pop tart." He pulled out his Metallica t-shirt and saw his son's face. "What?"

"That's what you're wearing?"

"I don't have time to pick up my stuff. Pop tarts, now."

Neal let out a deep breath as his son left the room. It'd be okay, he'd wear a leather jacket over it, no one would see the weird monster on his shirt. He wouldn't completely embarrass his son on the first day.

After a quick breakfast, they loaded into his Jeep and headed on the 30 minute drive to Greenwich. He kept glancing over at his son, smiling a little bit at how he looked out the window.

"Nervous?"

"Yeah. I mean…I'm not going to know anyone there."

"Just be yourself and if all else fails, just give them that Cassidy-Gold charm," he flashed him a grin.

"Playing Yaz isn't going to get me friends."

"I dunno, it made your mom my friend."

"Wasn't she your only friend?"

He gasped. "She was not!"

"That's what she says."

Neal rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well, she was hanging out with me so what does that say about her."

"That I have the two dorkiest parents of all time?"

"You know it."

Soon, they pulled in front of the ivy covered prep school. It was bigger than either remembered, almost like a castle. Henry stared at it, awestruck.

"It's scarier than Grandpa's," he whispered.

"I never thought I'd actually agree, but it's going to be okay." He rubbed his back. "My first day at prep school, I thought it was terrifying. By the time I left, it wasn't too bad anymore."

"No dragons?"

He softly smiled. "No dragons. Now, come on."

They got out of the car and headed for the headmaster's building. A few students looked their way, but only stared. Henry tried to give up a friendly smile, not that any of them matched it. Neal flinched a bit, hoping he would make friends. School was for learning, but it was extremely hard to get by without any friends.

When they reached the office, a scary looking lady retreated from her desk and disappeared between two heavy doors. She emerged a moment later, her arms folded over her chest.

"Headmaster Samdi will see you now," she said.

Neal cleared his throat. "Thank you." Together, they headed into the office and he smiled at the tall man before him. "Headmaster, it's very nice to meet you. I'm Neal Cassidy."

"A pleasure, Mr. Cassidy," he shook his hand before turning to Henry. "I've heard great things about you, young man."

"Thank you sir," Henry said, shaking his hand. He looked behind him and grinned wider. "Grandpa?"

Neal looked where his son was and saw his father sitting in a chair, wearing yet another designer suit. "What are you doing here?"

Wren smiled. "I came to wish my grandson good luck on his first day of school. You look very smart in your uniform, Henry," he told his grandson.

Neal sighed, this was just like his dad. "Pop, you didn't have to come all the way out here."

"It's only 10 minutes away. Plus, it gave me a chance to talk to Baron here and make sure he takes good care of our Henry."

He paled. His father was friends with the headmaster, of course he was. "You two know each other?"

"We both attended Yale," Samdi explained. "It's a nice treat that we are both working in education now. We can swap horror stories."

"Well, nothing like old friends." Neal forced a smile, trying not to show his annoyance.

"Would you like to take off your coat and take a seat?" Samdi offered.

Suddenly, Neal became very protective of his jacket. "Oh, I'm good, thank you."

"I'm afraid it's a bit stuffy in here," Samdi said, giving him a look he had seen a lot over the years. It was to make it quite clear that he wasn't suggesting, he was telling. If Neal didn't remove his jacket, it'd be perceived as an insult. That look compared with his father's and Neal slowly took it off.

While Samdi remained polite, Neal could practically feel the disappointment radiating off his father's face. It was the same one he gave him when he caught him walking around shirtless after he had one too many shots of tequila at a cotillion. He kept his eyes forward on the headmaster, who at least had to pretend to hold back his judgement or risk being impolite.

"So, Baron," Wren lead his grandson over to the desk. "Did you know that Henry here has a 4.0 grade point average?"

Neal sighed. "I'm sure he does, Pop. It's all in the records."

Wren ignored him. "He's a smart boy, I know you'll take good care of him."

"Yes, I trust you don't lock them in the basement for forgetting an assignment," Neal joked, almost instantly regretting it as everyone stared at him, Henry included.

"Well, I don't think we should take up any more of your time, let's leave these two to it," Wren said, cutting the tension. "I'll see you at the club." He turned to his grandson and gave him a light hug. "Have a great first day, Henry. I want to hear all about it."

"Of course, Grandpa, I'll call you tonight," Henry said, flashing him a small smile.

Wren looked at his son. "You need a ride to Warped Tour?"

Neal bit his tongue and shook Samdi's hand. "Nice to meet you." He kissed the top of Henry's head. "Have a great day."

With that, he followed his father out into the hallway.

"What were you thinking showing up like that?" Wren asked.

"Oh, ya know, I just figured why not humiliate my son on his first day?" Neal replied, the sarcasm dripping off his tongue. "It's my duty as his dad."

"I taught you that if you want respect, you have to give it."

"There was a mishap this morning, I didn't have time to get my suit. But I promise by his graduation, I'll get it."

Wren rolled his eyes. "Always with the quips."

"Why are you even here?"

"Oh, so I can pay for the school, I just can't show up?"

"I never said that, Pop. Geez."

The two stared at each other for a moment, clearly at a standoff. There was the usual tension between the two, but nothing had been resolved from their fight on Friday.

"I should get to work," Neal said, finally.

"Hope you change first."

"Don't you have some students to scare?" He asked, walking out of the school.


	7. Neal & Henry's First Pet

**Prompted by bookwormchocaholic: Where You Lead, ask meme: Can we get a dog?**

**Takes place when Henry is 5 years old, because I wanted to write some angsty single dad Neal. :)**

When Neal had moved to Stars Hollow, he got used to all of the weird town events. They seemed to celebrate just about every holiday, even the smaller ones that you'd probably just see on your Twitter or Tumblr feed. Henry liked them, he loved going to every festival.

One that Neal would probably never enjoy was the pet adoption fair that they had twice a year. He loved animals and had always wanted a pet growing up, but they weren't exactly a part of Wren's plan. He always said that when he had a kid, he would have a whole household full of pets. Of course, he didn't plan on when he had a kid to be a single dad, living in a tiny loft.

Henry was 5 years old the first time he asked for a dog and it was when he saw the fliers for said adoption fair.

"Can we get a dog?" He asked as they walked to school one morning. "Or a cat?"

Neal shook his head. "No, bud."

"Why not?"

"Because, our loft is too tiny for one. Plus, they're a lot of responsibility."

"We can make room. He can sleep on my bed and I'll take him for walks and feed him. Please?"

"Pets also cost money," Neal pointed out. "You need to buy them food, medicine, take them to the vet."

That was part of the main reason behind saying no. He hated that he couldn't give Henry the newest toys or books, but he was a waiter who worked on mainly tips. Not only did he barely have time to spend time with Henry after work, there was no way that he could take care of a dog. They had just gotten off food stamps.

"But Mulan just got a cat," Henry whined. "It's not fair."

"Much of life isn't. There a lot of things that Mulan will get, that you won't. Just like you can do a lot of things that she can't."

A pout fell across Henry's lips, but he didn't say much more. Neal felt a tug of guilt at his heart. Henry knew better than to ask for stuff a lot, so if he was making this big a fuss over it, he had to want it very badly. There was just no way it could work out, not right then anyway.

Then a miracle fell on his lap, from the person he least expected.

Cristina DeVil was the head concierge and known for her grumpy attitude, with not just the rest of the staff, but the customers. Granny kept her on for reasons that Neal didn't get, but they had built up a repertoire ever since she got hired. She came into work one morning with a cage in hand. Neal tilted his head when he saw a tiny guinea pig inside.

"I didn't take you for a pet person," he said.

"I'm not," Cristina huffed, setting it behind the desk. "My niece stupidly bought this without checking with my sister, who then gave it to me. I don't want the damn thing. I was going to see if anyone else wanted it."

A smile formed across Neal's face. He knew that guinea pigs themselves were expensive, along with their cages, but once you had all that…the food was pretty cheap and they could live off lettuce and other vegetables.

"Think I could have it?"

"Take it. Please. I have a bag of food in my car you can have too."

"And you don't want anything for it?"

"I'd pay someone to take it off me. You know I don't do well with living creatures."

That afternoon, Neal headed up to the loft with the new pet and food in hand. He set it up in a corner table by the window. Henry came home a few hours later, having been dropped off after a playdate with Mulan. Neal grinned and lead him to the corner. Henry's eyes lit up in excitement.

"Is that a hamster?"

"A guinea pig. Cristina was looking for someone to give him a good home, so I thought we could. I know it's not a dog or a cat…"

"It's awesome! Does he have a name?"

"Nope, I figured you could do that."

"Hmmm…" Henry was silent for a moment. "Babar, like the book we got from the library."

"I think that's the perfect name."

Henry threw his arms around his father's waist, catching him off guard. Neal softly smiled and hugged him tighter, kissing the top of his head.

"Thanks, Daddy," Henry said before reaching into the cage and taking out his new friend.

For the rest of the afternoon, Neal watched his son play with his new pet. Babar couldn't do much, but Henry was happy and that's what mattered.


	8. Cyclone

**Prompted by thecompletebookworm: Where you lead: "Your room looks like a cyclone ran through it." (Fingers Crossed Wren to Bae, but all the characters in this verse are amazing so any and everything works)**

**Some angsty Papafire for you. Takes place when Neal is 13. Trigger warning for mentions of Wren's childhood...Malcolm's his dad, we all know how that goes.**

Neal hated how cold his home felt. It wasn't the actual temperature of the house, rather how things were decorated. There was lots of beige and silver, nothing to play with or even signs that a child lived there. No, his toys were to remain in his playroom and bedroom. As he got older, his toys were for the most part given away and his father turned it into a study for Neal to use in college. (Because he insisted that he'd be Yale bound and would just be able to live at home.)

13-year-old Neal was at the height of his rebellion. He refused to cut his hair (or wash it), wore all black and had even begun wearing eyeliner one of his friends gave him. He blasted his Jimmy Eat World and Blink 182. Most of all…his room was a complete mess.

Clothes all over the place, his art supplies in every nook and cranny he could stuff them. All of his books had been pulled from the shelf and scattered all over. Normally, a housekeeper would attend to his mess, but he had specifically asked her not to. It was his room and he'd clean it up when he was ready.

Neal sat up in his room one Friday afternoon, blasting his music and sitting on his unmade bed, sketching. The door opened and Wren came in, making a face at the sight around him.

"Your room looks like a cyclone went through it," he announced.

Neal rolled his eyes. "So? It's my room."

"It needs to look presentable. It was one thing for you to ruin the wallpaper with your posters and pushpins." That had been a whole other screaming match. "And now, Kim tells me that you won't let her clean it."

"I'll clean it when I want to. I don't want her going through my things."

"It's not an option, Neal. This is not how I'm raising you. If you have no respect for your appearance or your surroundings, how do you ever expect anyone to respect you?"

Another eye roll. "Maybe I don't need the respect of your stupid friends."

Wren cocked an eyebrow. "My so-called stupid friends are how I build connections and how I was able to become so successful. Do you see me showing up to court with greasy hair and a wrinkled band t-shirt?"

"And what if I don't want to be a lawyer, Pop?" Neal pushed himself up so he was sitting up straight. His pencils and sketchpad dropped from his hands. "What if I don't want to go to Yale?"

"Every Gold man has gone."

"Well, I don't want to go. I don't want to be some stuffy lawyer who can't handle a little mess."

Wren gritted his teeth and stepped forward. "I know I did not raise you to talk like that to me."

"What are you gonna do?"

Neal had rebelled in the past, but he had never gone this far. When he was younger, he would've simply given up and caved to what his father wanted. At this point in his life, he wanted to be the exact opposite of his father. He would do anything that he didn't want him to.

Wren knew this. His mind flashed back to his own father. He would've gotten the crap beaten out of him after the first snotty word. He had vowed to be better than him, to have more patience. He had done all of that, so why did his son resent him so much? Why was he so determined to be everything he wasn't? His father had been a conman, only gotten all of his success from trickery and dishonesty. Wren had always taught his son to do things the right way, the fair way.

And Neal didn't want any part of that. Wren couldn't figure out exactly where he had gone wrong.

"You're not leaving this room until it's spotless," he said, firmly. "And you're not going to leave this house until you wash your hair."

"I'm supposed to go out tonight!"

"Well, I guess you're not then."

"You can't tell me how to look! It's my body!"

"And you're my son. When you are out there, it's a reflection of me." With that, he walked out of the room.

Neal stayed locked up in his room for the rest of the night and tried to leave the following morning, but Wren refused. Neal stuck it out the rest of the weekend, refusing to budge if his father wouldn't let him. Wren wondered what he was going to do on Monday.

Luckily for him, when Monday morning came around, Neal came downstairs with his hair washed. He was still wearing his punk clothes, but they were clean. When Wren peeked into his room, the mess was cleaned up.

The distance between the father and son only grew.


	9. Gold Digger

** queen-of-the-merry-men prompted: So it features Rumbelle and Neal all at an event together (art gallery or museum works best). While Gold is off doing whatever Neal and Belle over hear people gossiping that she's a gold digger and predicting that she'll probably end up sleeping with her stepson. And Neal confronts them.**

Neal adjusted his tie for probably the tenth time as he looked around the room. His father had two extra seats at a charity event and had invited Neal and Emma along. He knew it was only to fill tables, at these types of things, empty seats were a disgrace. Emma had been a good sport and tagged along, knowing that Neal would never hear the end of it regardless. So, they'd gotten all dressed up, left Henry with Granny and followed his father to the gala in New Canaan.

Wren had gone off to schmooze while Emma was searching for some food, leaving Belle and Neal to look at the artwork.

"God all this stuff is so pretentious," Neal muttered.

"Have you done much art?" Belle asked.

He titled his head. "Did I tell you I painted?"

"No, your dad did. He actually has one of your pictures in his study."

That caught Neal off guard. His father had always told him that his art aspirations were nothing but a pipe dream, something he'd never be able to support himself on. In the end, his father had been right. He wasn't disappointed that he couldn't pursue a career, he still did it for fun. He just never expected his father to actually keep any of the things he gave him.

"Don't look so surprised. Despite what you think, your father is very proud of you," Belle added.

Neal nodded. "If you say so."

She sighed, patting his back. "I just wish you could see the way he feels."

"I wish he'd open up and talk to me. It took him 9 years for him to admit that I hurt his feelings by running away."

"I know, it's hard to get him to crack. He's just…been through a lot. There's stuff about his childhood that you don't know about."

"Like what?"

Before Belle could answer, soft murmuring could be heard nearby. Belle wasn't one to eavesdrop, but she caught Wren's name and had to move a little closer.

"You see he brought that new wife of his?" The woman asked her friend. "I knew she was young, but boy." She let out a low whistle. "She's got to be about his son's age."

"I heard she's Maurice French's girl. You know he cut her off when she decided to open her own business, has to be after Gold's money," she replied.

"Oh I have no doubt in my mind about that." The woman sighed. "He's such a smart man, could have any one he wants. This'll probably all end with her sleeping with Neal, anyhow. Let's just hope he got this one to sign a prenup. Milah took him to the cleaners in their divorce."

"Oh, how is Milah? I always liked her."

Neal could also hear the whole thing and saw tears welling up in Belle's eyes. It was a new sight for him, he had never seen her so upset. Typically, she was the one who got stern with his father. She didn't take crap from anyone. However, he figured that she had been to enough of these events and it probably wasn't the first time that someone had an issue with how young his father's new wife was.

He hated the judgmental people that ran this circle and since he was out of it, he could finally say something.

Ignoring Belle's pleas to not get involved, he walked right over to the women and recognized them a little better. Freya Blue and Cora Mills, two of the most judgmental people of them all.

"Perhaps you two should keep your voices down," he seethed. "People can hear you."

"Whatever do you mean?" Cora asked innocently, blinking a few times. "We were just admiring this Monet."

"Bullshit," Neal said.

"Neal, that's hardly proper language for such an event…" Freya began to lecture.

"Nuh uh, don't do that. I'm not 10 anymore, I heard what you said. More importantly, you were saying it about a member of my family." Neal narrowed his eyes. "Now, you listen to me. Belle is an amazing person, she's not a gold digger. Her relationship with my father is none of your business."

"Now, Neal…"

"No, Miss Blue. If I recall, Belle donated a hefty amount of books to the orphanage you run. She wasn't so much of a problem then, now was she?" A smug smile tugged on his lips when she looked into her martini glass. "And Mrs. Mills," he turned to Cora. "I believe it was my father that convinced the family to drop the charges of the young boy you hit with your car."

Cora turned pale, but quickly regained her composure. "It was an accident."

"Sure it was. All I know is, neither of you are as perfect as you want to pretend to be. So keep your mouth shut."

He turned on his heel and walked away, hearing them whisper about the teenage father having the gall to correct them on their behavior. He could care less what they said about him. When he returned to where Belle was, he saw his father was with her. For a moment, he expected him to yell at him for talking to two of his former clients in such a way. Instead, he gave him a small nod.

"Thank you, son," he said.

Neal smiled. "You're welcome. Now, I think Emma's found the food, shall we?"

Belle nodded, her tears dry. She quickly linked her arm through Wren's. "Let's."


	10. 50 Is The Loneliest Number You'll Ever K

** tinuviel-undomiel prompted: Can we see how Belle and Wren met? I'm very curious about that.**

**Takes place a year before the first chapter.**

Birthdays had never been a big deal for Wren growing up. His father traveled often and was never home, so his aunts would make him a birthday cake and get him a few gifts. If Malcolm was home for the event, he'd get drunk. There was no sense in remembering the day that his son "took away" the one person in his life that he loved the most.

He could still remember the first real birthday that he enjoyed. Milah understood his feelings about not wanting to celebrate, but somehow Neal had found out. He was only 4 years old at the time, so it wasn't anything big. Just breakfast in bed (cereal with overpoured milk) and a colored in sheet. Even so, it was the most thoughtful and sweetest thing he had ever received. He could remember Milah trying to urge the young boy to let him be, but Wren scooped his son into his arms and pressed kisses to his face, thanking him for the gesture.

A year later, Milah left and Wren's heart closed off. Neal tried for a few more years to do something nice for him on his birthday, but Wren couldn't bring himself to enjoy it. He tried to fake a smile and enjoy whatever he brought him, but his lack of enthusiasm must have showed because Neal stopped doing it after he turned 8. Sure, he'd give his father a present once he was old enough to buy things on his own, but it was never the same.

When Neal moved out, his birthday stopped being celebrated all together. He'd get a rushed e-mail and maybe a card from Henry, but that was it. That year he had attempted to get the boys to come out to dinner, but Henry was sick. He wasn't mad about it, but he did allow himself to feel a smidge of disappointment. After all, it was a milestone birthday: he was 50.

Alas, he was alone, as always. Deciding not to wallow in self-pity, he headed out to one of his favorite bars. It was quiet, no one getting drunk. Mostly, it was business men who hit on the waitresses and chatted about stocks. He took a seat at the bar, ordering a scotch.

"You got ID?" The bartender asked.

Wren raised an eyebrow. "You're kidding."

"It's policy. If my boss catches me, I'll get in trouble."

Wren wanted to argue that his boss would probably see no issue, but figured he was new and was too tired to argue. He wrestled his license from his pocket and laid it down on the marble top. The man nodded and started to fix his drink.

An Australian accented voice came from behind him. "Happy birthday."

He whipped around and raised an eyebrow. "Pardon?"

"Sorry, I just saw your birthdate." She grinned and pointed to the numbers on the card.

"Oh, well, thank you."

He took in the woman. She didn't look much older than Neal, had long auburn hair and the biggest blue eyes he had ever seen. She was wearing a green dress with some jewels on the neckline and ridiculously high pumps.

"I'm Belle, by the way," she said.

"Wren, Wren Gold."

Belle sat next to him. "So, Mr. Gold, what's a man like you doing alone on your birthday?"

A small part of Wren wanted to tell her to buzz off, but he could see the sincerity in her eyes. The truth was, he was just tired of being lonely. "A man like me?"

"I recognize your name. I believe you did business for my father, once upon a time."

"French…" He mulled it over for a minute. "Is your father Maurice French?"

"The one and only."

"I didn't know he had a daughter."

"Doesn't surprise me much." She rolled her eyes and the bartender came back over. "Martini, please. Dirty." When he walked off again, she tilted her head. "So, I believe I asked you a question first."

Wren sighed, swirling his glass a bit. "My grandson is sick, so my son had to tend to him. Though, I'm sure neither of them wanted to spend it with me."

"That's silly, I'm sure they love you."

"My grandson does, his father…well…let's just say it's complicated."

"Family is the most important thing." She squeezed his hand. "My father and I have a rocky relationship, but I still love him."

"I appreciate your kind words." When the bartender brought her drink, he waved a hand. "Put it on my tab."

"Mr. Gold, I can't ask you to do that. It's your birthday."

"And what I want is to treat a pretty girl to a drink," he said. "Also, please, it's Wren."

"Okay," she grinned. "Wren."

"I'm sure you have better things to do than hang out with me."

"Not really. I came here for a quick drink on my way home…had no clue I'd run into such a handsome man."

Wren nearly missed the flirtation that glistened in her eye and smiled.

"To new friendships," he said.

Belle nodded, a smile on her own face. "New friendships."

Their glasses clinked, just the way they would a year later when they tied the knot.


	11. Wren Comes To Stars Hollow

**I always thought, with all of Emily and Richard's connections...did they not track down where their daughter was after she ran away? I definitely couldn't see Wren not trying to find his son. So...here is the first time that Wren came to Stars Hollow. With some Gold and Granny banter for good measure.**

Neal always assumed that until he called his father with his address, he had no clue where he was. Of course when one assumes…

Wren Gold had connections. He wasn't a criminal defense lawyer anymore but after 13 years in the profession, he still had them. It took the P.I he hired less than a day to figure out that Neal had gone to a town called Stars Hollow and was working at a place called Granny's Inn. He knew he could call the police, have his son be dragged back kicking and screaming but instead he wanted to go down there himself. They'd talk it out, whatever was bothering Neal, they'd get to the bottom of it.

He drove his Cadillac into the small town and found the inn. He headed into the lobby, finding who he assumed was the proprietor: Evelyn Lucas, or Granny as she was better known. Wren walked up to the desk and she didn't even meet his eye.

"We're booked.

"I'm not here for a room, I'm here for my son."

Granny looked up and saw Wren standing there, looking into the eyes so similar to the young boy she was renting a room to. "You're Neal's father."

"Wren Gold. Where is he?"

"He took Henry to the park."

"May I wait for him?" He saw a glint of hesitation cross her eye, which made his mouth twitch. "I want to keep the police out of this Mrs. Lucas, but you are currently harboring a runaway."

"Why don't you calm down for a second and put yourself in my shoes?" Granny asked, the venom seeping through her voice. "A week ago, I had a young boy come here with a baby in his arms. He told me that he needed a job so desperately so he could provide for his son. He's desperate, cold and scared. What was I to do?"

"Send him home."

"And how was I supposed to trust he went there? How did I know that he wouldn't just go somewhere else? At least here, I could give him and Henry a place to stay, a decent job."

"He's a busboy for your bar."

"He does quite well, the customers love him."

"Either way, he is my son and it's time he comes home. So, if you could bring me to wherever he's staying."

Granny eyed him for a minute, but relented. She lead him up a few staircases and soon they reached a floor that only had one door.

"I just want to add one more thing," she said. "My daughter ran away when she was 18, wouldn't come home no matter what I asked and cut off contact. Eventually, I find out that she died and that she had a child. I missed 12 years with my granddaughter, because my daughter hated me so much. Because I pushed so hard for her to come home."

"What are you trying to say?"

"That maybe Neal needs his space, and I think you should give it to him."

"With all due respect, I didn't come here for parenting advice."

She sighed (and he didn't miss the slight eye roll), but removed a large keyring, eventually finding the right one and unlocking the door.

"I wish you luck," she said, before disappearing down the stairs.

Wren entered the apartment, looking around. It was all one room, the only partition was the one hiding the tub and toilet. There was a pull out couch up against one wall, the bed part out and unmade. (His son definitely was living there.) Next to the bed was a well-used pack and play which had Henry's baby blanket and lovey. A few dishes were in the sink and he noticed a mason jar on the counter which had some bills and change stuffed in it.

His son had grown up in a mansion with a four poster bed and a separate playroom. He had vacationed to some amazing places, places that some people his age hadn't even visited. Back at home, he had a flat screen T.V and in his apartment, just a small one, probably no cable. At least back at home, Wren had offered to hire a nanny to watch Henry so Neal could go to school and work. He himself was helping raise the boy. Who did he have here? Outside the old lady downstairs who couldn't mind her business

Neal had ran away from everything…to this.

A wave of realization washed over Wren. There was no way that he could convince his son to come back home. Sure, he could have the police take him back but in 10 months when he turned 18, he'd just be gone again. That time, the chances of Wren ever seeing either boy would be even slimmer. His son didn't want the life he had been given.

He didn't want Wren.

Tears built up in Wren's eyes and he willed himself to not let them fall. Digging through his wallet, he snuck a few hundreds into the mason jar and took one last look around the apartment. It wasn't good enough for Henry or Neal, but it was what the latter wanted. Granny was right, he had to give his son space.

He just hoped to hell that one day, he'd come back home.


	12. Matchmaker Make Me A Match

**queen-of-the-merry-men prompted: Prompt for Where you Lead! Neal and Henry come over for dinner and find that Wren invited the Tremaine family and their three daughters. Neal realizes that Wren's already "matchmaking" for Henry.**

Neal knew how coveted the Friday night dinners were to his father. It was a time that just the four of them would get together and eat. Inviting Emma that one time had ended in disaster and since she wasn't even dating Neal, he figured it wasn't worth the argument to bring her back.

All of this was why Neal was so surprised to find his father had invited five people to join them for dinner one evening.

He knew of the Belfrey family. Marcus was a man that had built himself up from nothing with the support his adoring wife, Victoria. They had three daughters, one of which had just had her first debutante ball. Since Victoria was also a professor at Yale, she was good friends with his father and they spoke quite often. Even so, it was odd to find them sitting in the living room that Friday.

"Neal, I believe you know Victoria and Marcus," Wren said.

Neal nodded, shaking their hands. "How are you?"

"Very good." Marcus smiled. "I believe the last time we saw you, you were trying to console a crying baby."

He chuckled a bit. "Yes, now he's all grown up. Doesn't cry half as much."

Henry rolled his eyes and resisted the urge to poke out his tongue. He noticed three girls sitting on the couch he normally did. One looked to be about his age. Victoria noticed him staring and a smile that didn't quite match her eyes formed on her face. "Henry, these are our daughters. Jacinda, Anastasia and Ivy."

"Nice to meet you," he said, softly. Jacinda looked just as uncomfortable as he did, though he was thankful that he was dressed a little more comfortably than she was.

Neal eyed his father and then Victoria, confused about just how happy they were. He had never seen Victoria Belfrey smile-at all. Belle clasped her hands together, clearly sensing the tension.

"Shall we? Dinner's ready."

"Sounds great," Neal said, trying to read her, but she seemed just as confused as she was.

They headed into the dining room and took their seats around the table. When Henry went to sit next to his father, Wren gently nudged him to sit beside Jacinda. Ivy and Anastasia were giggling as they took their seats by their parents. Jacinda only moved around more in her dress, looking like she was itchy. The food was served and pleasant conversation began. Neal wondered if maybe he had read too much into it, maybe Jacinda was just like he was at that age: hating stuffy dinners with her parents' friends and having to wear formal attire. Poor thing would probably prefer playing in the mud.

Then the subject turned to cotillion.

"Jacinda has her first one this month," Marcus announced. "We're quite proud of her."

Victoria nodded. "Wren, is Henry going to be attending cotillion?"

Neal saw his son's eyes about bug out of his head and laughed. "We're not exactly in society, so I don't think so."

"But you're Gold men."

"Well…I did change our surname to Cassidy when I was 20." The blank stares told him that was the wrong thing to say. "I just don't think that Henry needs a dance to tell him that he's becoming a proper gentleman. He's a good kid."

"He is," Wren said. "However, I do think it'd benefit him to attend classes, perhaps attend the next one."

"Wren," Belle titled her head. "Maybe this is something you and Neal should discuss at a later date."

"I agree," Neal took a sip of his wine. "Like the tenth of never."

There was a silence that fell over the table as father and son stared off. Neal knew that Henry would rather gouge his eyeballs out then attend cotillion. He also knew that he didn't want Henry so far into this life. Yes, he attended a private school and would one day attend an Ivy League. That was all his choosing. Neal wasn't about turn into…well, the parents that sat in front of him.

"If Henry's not going to cotillion, then neither am I," Jacinda announced.

A horrified look fell over Victoria's face. "Jacinda."

"No, the whole reason we came here was so I could have a date."

Neal looked back at his father, who acted as if the girl had announced the sky was blue. So, this was the reason for the Belfries joining them at dinner. He internally cringed at the memories of his father trying to set him up with someone from a young age. It was subtle at first. He'd attend cotillion and be gently nudged to ask a girl to dance. He was 11 at the time…exactly how old Henry would be the following week.

No way in hell.

All eyes whipped to him and he realized he had said those four words out loud. He stood up, throwing his napkin down and storming out of the dining room. He wanted to smoke, why had he quit again?

"Dad?"

Right. Reason number one right there.

He turned around and faced his son, who gave him a small smile. "It's okay."

"The last thing that is, is okay. You're 11."

"I know, and obviously I wouldn't do it."

"This is just like him." He shook his head. "I want to make one thing clear, Henry, you are far too young to date and when you are old enough…your grandfather won't be choosing your date."

"I know." He chuckled. "It's really okay, Dad. I expect this stuff from Grandpa at this point. He has funny ideas of how things should be."

Neal couldn't believe this didn't drive his son up a wall, but then again he could. Henry liked to see the best in people, believe they had the best of intentions. Deep down, he just wanted all of this to work. Neal did too, but not like this.

Belle and Wren appeared in the living room, the former wrapping an arm around Henry. "Do you want to help me get dessert ready?" She asked. "I got your favorite ice cream."

"Sure." Henry grinned and they walked out of the room. Neal couldn't help but notice that Belle was glaring at Wren as she did.

"You're being rude," Wren said.

Neal laughed, bitterly. "I'm the rude one? You invite me and my son over for dinner, only to have it to be a set up."

"Neal…"

"They're 11, Dad! 11 years old."

"I know, I wasn't expecting them to go out for ice cream or anything. It's just good to set these things up now…"

"It's not 1805 and I'm not going to discuss with Marcus how many cows that Jacinda is worth."

"Well now you're just being dramatic."

"No, I'm really not. God, Dad." He threw his hands in the air. "When Henry dates, it'll be someone of his choosing. Whether it be someone from your circle or my own."

"He is a Gold, no matter what name you changed his name to," Wren replied, calmly. "He needs to be with someone worthy of his status."

"Oh, you mean unlike me?"

"I gave up trying to match you up long ago, son."

"Yet, you still did when I was younger. You were so pissed the day I brought Emma home. You demanded that I find someone better for me and then I got her pregnant. I always wondered if you thought of Henry differently because of who is mother was…"

"I never have," Wren interrupted. "Don't you go there. I, however, do want what's best for him."

"This isn't something you could pick! Gosh, Pop, I thought after all you went through with Moe, you'd get that."

That suddenly shut his father up. Wren ran his hand over his face before looking away.

"Now you're right, me storming away from the table was rude," Neal continued. "However, if you ever pull this crap again, we will walk right back out of here."

He headed towards the dining room, only to hear his name called again. He turned around and cocked an eyebrow.

"What now?"

"I'm sorry," Wren said, simply. "I should've at the very least discussed that with you."

Neal couldn't recall the last time his father had apologized to him, at least sincerely.

"Yes…well…never again."

"I just want what's best for Henry."

"So do I. And who knows, maybe in 20 years, we'll be laughing because he marries Jacinda. For now, just let them be kids."

Neal was wrong, they wouldn't be laughing in 20 years.

It'd be more like 11, but that's another story for another day.


	13. Fathers & Sons

**Trigger warning: Implied past child abuse.**

Neal didn't have many memories of grandparents growing up. His mother was an orphan, that much he could remember. His father said that for all his life, he just had a dad too. Yet, he had only ever met Malcolm Gold once. It was a short visit and all he got from it was that his grandfather was very opiniated and made his father sweat. He was only 8 at the time, so he didn't really get what was going on.

Malcolm had moved back to Manchester after retiring and only visited once every few years. He saw his son, but never the rest of his family. He decided to change that shortly after the weekly dinners began.

"What do you know about your grandpa?" Henry asked as they drove to Greenwich that evening.

"Not much, I only met him once and Pop never talked about him much."

Henry tilted his head. "Really? I wonder why?"

"Do me a favor and don't ask him. I'm sure whatever the reason, it's awkward."

He pulled his Jeep into the driveway and they were let in by a maid, lead to the living room where Belle and Wren sat awkwardly. Standing by the fireplace with a glass of Scotch in his hand was an older man with thin grey hair and Wren's chin.

"Father," Wren said curtly, standing up. "I believe you remember Neal."

Malcolm raised an eyebrow. "I only met him once, Wren. Back then he still hadn't quite lost all his baby teeth."

"Well, I have now," Neal said, hoping the older man would laugh but…nothing.

He walked closer to them, looking them up and down before glancing over at Henry. "And you, you're my great-grandson."

"Yes, sir. My name's Henry."

"Henry? Named after Henry Thoreau?"

Neal chuckled nervously. "The Fonz, actually."

"The Fonz?"

Neal could see his father face palming, but it was too late to go back. "Ya know, Arthur Fonzarelli…played by Henry Winkler." Once again, there was a blank stare on his grandfather's face. "I was 16…it was my favorite show." Still nothing. "His middle name is Wren?"

"Names have power," Malcolm said, finally. "They mean something, so I suppose it's good that his means something to you."

"Thanks," Neal replied, unsure if that was the right response.

"So, what do you do, Neal?"

"I'm the manager of an inn," he said.

"And how much money does that make you?"

"Mr. Gold," Belle interjected. "I hardly see how that's appropriate."

"I want to know how he affords to raise my grandson, as I understand, he attends one of the best private schools in Connecticut. I'm sure that's hard to do on an innkeeper's salary."

Neal was starting to get annoyed. "I do fine."

"Fine?" Malcolm raised an eyebrow.

Wren rose to his feet. "Neal is great at what he does, he's able to provide for his son and that's what matters."

"I see. I guess I'm just confused as to how a son of yours didn't even go to college."

"There are different paths, Father."

That was the first time those words had escaped Wren's mouth and they about knocked Neal over with a feather. He had never heard his father defend his life's choices, heck half the time he was arguing if they were the right way to go about things.

"And I especially don't think it's appropriate to discuss this in front of Henry," Wren concluded.

Malcolm stood over his son and let out a chuckle. "Aye, boy. Quite the diplomat aren't you?" He shook his head. "I'm going to go see what exactly is taking your maid so long with dinner."

The rest of the evening was awkward to say the least. Malcolm quizzed Henry about school and his grades, even asking him what universities he planned on attending and what he wanted to study. As soon as the words Harvard escaped from the young boy's lips, you would've thought he suggested he go to clown school.

"All Gold men go to Yale," he said, firmly. "Well…they did up until your father."

All the while, Neal noticed that his father was having more drinks than usual just to get through the evening. The truth was, he was starting to realize just why Malcolm had never come around when he was a kid. Neal thought his own childhood was stuffy and closed off, but at least his father had never been this bad. Could it be possible that maybe Wren was only the way he was due to his own upbringing?

It didn't change anything or excuse how Wren had been at times, but Neal saw something in Wren's face whenever his grandfather slammed a glass down on the table or rose his hands to emphasize his words. Had he…had he hit his father growing up?

After dinner, Malcolm retired to the guest room and Henry wanted to have Belle look over a report he had due for school. Neal was left alone awkwardly for a moment, before going out onto the back deck and finding his father smoking a cigar.

"You never told me how bad he was," he whispered.

Wren looked over at him. "Hmm?"

"Malcolm. We never talked about it."

"What was the point? Parents and children don't discuss such things."

That wasn't true, at least not for Neal and Henry. Sure, Neal had spared his nitty gritty details but he knew things hadn't always been so pretty.

"Besides," Wren took another puff of his cigar. "I had a roof over my head, food in my belly…it's better than it could've been."

"Just because he provided for you doesn't make what he did okay." Another beat of silence. "We never talked about how you hurt your ankle."

"That's hardly important."

"Pop…"

"I said it's not important, Neal."

Wren shot him a look that was both stern yet pleading and Neal nodded. "If he was so bad…why is he here?"

"I kept him from you both as much as I could. He comes to town a few times a year to see friends and normally I just have to suffer through a drink. This year, he knew that you and Henry were on better terms with me so he insisted. He said if I didn't arrange it, he would and I didn't want that. I'll make sure he's never back here again, I don't care for how he spoke to you."

Neal smiled a bit. "You stood up for me tonight."

"You're my son," Wren replied, simply. "I know you don't think I'm the world's best father, but I always vowed to do better than him. Perhaps I failed…"

"No." Neal shook his head. "You're not the same, Papa."

The term of endearment slipped out without him realizing and he wouldn't have noticed it, had it not been the glint that fell upon his father's eyes. It had been so long since he called him that.

"Dad!" Henry's voice carried from inside the house. "Belle said she wants us to try the biscotti she and Grandpa got from their trip to Europe."

Wren put out his cigar and turned towards the house. "The boy calls."

With that, he walked inside, leaving Neal to mull over the events of the evening.


	14. Independence Day

**Requested by anonymous on Tumblr: "I don't think you had a childhood. I think you came out a bitter, surly killjoy."**

It had been a hell of a year. Neal was exhausted and yet filled with such joy. He had watched his son grow from a 6 pound ball of squish to a still slightly squishy 1 year old who was highly mobile. He was always so happy, wanting to give love and kisses to whoever came into his line of vison. Yes, life was hard, but it was also rewarding and exciting.

He tried with Wren, he really did. Deep down, he knew his dad just cared and truthfully, he did more than most probably would for their teenager that was a dad. He paid for daycare so Neal could go to school and was patient when his grades weren't the best when Henry got a cold or was teething. Yet, it was clear that their parenting methods were way different. Wren didn't seem to separate the fact that he wasn't Henry's father, but his grandfather.

Things came to a head when it came to Henry's first birthday. Neal didn't have very many friends anymore and he just wanted something quiet with his dad and Henry. Wren…had other plans. He wanted to invite his friends and colleagues over for a garden party. No clowns or pony rides, just a stuffy violin player.

"It's just a waste of money, Pop," Neal said. "He's too young to even enjoy it. I don't know any of your friends."

"You know a few. Besides, it's as much for us as it is Henry. This year has been hell."

"Yes, but this seems more for you. Henry won't be able to sit through a long party like that."

"Well, maybe we could invite some of his friends from daycare. We'll hire a clown."

"Henry is terrified of clowns. We saw one at the park and it freaked him out."

Wren rolled his eyes. "When I was a child, I loved clowns."

"I don't think you had a childhood. I think you came out a bitter, surly killjoy."

"Excuse me? I'm trying to throw your son a birthday party."

"And I told you what I want. You, me, Henry, a cupcake, maybe we could go to the zoo."

"We're doing the party. Henry will love it."

Neal spent much of Henry's first birthday party in the corner, playing with his son. Just like he thought, Henry got fussy and hated the suit that Wren had picked out. He wouldn't go near the clown like the other kids and Neal could feel the judgement of his father's friends.

In that moment, he realized that he would never fit into that world. He was flunking out of high school, too busy with his son to focus. Yet, his father kept pushing Yale and a life as a lawyer or doctor. That day alone, he had mentioned to 5 people that come summer, he'd be interning in the office.

Neal's life would forever be under his father's thumb. He was grateful for all of his help, but it came with a price. Not only did it affect him, but his son as well. How long would it be before pressure was put on Henry to be whatever Wren wanted him to? His father only had the best of intentions, but it wasn't the life that Neal wanted.

It was like a golden cage. On the outside, he had everything that one would want: an education, connections to an elite world. He had daycare for his son and probably access to the best schools. Yet, he was trapped. He had no choices, no say. His father would forever be able to decide what he did, so long as he lived under his roof. He couldn't even throw his son the birthday party that he wanted.

Yes, it was a golden cage. The life was pretty, but he was still caged nonetheless.

That night, Neal knew what he had to do. He didn't know where he was going or what he would do when he got there, but he'd drive. It'd be close by so he could see his dad again someday. He'd get a job and a place to live. Henry would have the childhood that he always wanted. It'd be filled with fun music and movies, yet all the important education that he had given up on. They'd be close, sort of like friends in a way.

He packed what could fit in a few suitcases for himself and loaded up more for Henry. When his son woke up around 2 AM for his usual early morning shrieking, he calmed him down and carried him to the Jeep. Grabbing hold of Henry's stroller, he also threw it into the back and thought of all the times his father had yelled at him for keeping it in the entry way. Tomorrow when he woke up, it wouldn't be there.

He wouldn't be there and neither would Henry.

All that would be was a note stating he couldn't take it anymore and that he'd see him again someday.

It was reckless, it was selfish.

But Neal was finally free.


	15. The Parent Trap

**thecompletebookworm prompted: "Are you going to kiss me now? You are so incredibly predictable."**

Henry had watched The Parent Trap enough times growing up to know that it didn't take kids to get parents back together, they had to actually want it. He also knew he was lucky. In that movie, the parents were awful. They separated their kids just because they couldn't be bothered to ever see each other again. Sure, Emma's presence in his life had been spotty at best since he was little, but now she was back for good and making up for lost time. He could tell she was truly sorry for how she had acted-which is more than the Nick and Elizabeth from The Parent Trap could say.

He knew his parents were still in love, they just needed a little push. However, he also knew that his grandfather wasn't too excited about his mom's return and there's no way that he'd help him rent out a boat for their reunion. Besides, his mom hated boats. So, he decided to go a different route.

Belle loved books and said that romance stories were here favorite. Surely, she'd have read something that could help.

He made his way into Tale As Old As Time after school one day, making sure to text his dad that he was catching a later bus to "study with friends". A lie, but it'd be worth it in the end. His step-grandmother was in the back, sorting through some inventory. She looked up and blew a strand of hair out of her face, smiling.

"Henry, I didn't expect you to come by."

"I need your help with something."

"Of course. I just put on some tea and my baker dropped off a fresh bash of cookies."

Soon, they were sitting at Belle's desk in her cramped office. It was beautifully decorated and stuffed with books, some post its stuck to them with things like "For Mary Margaret's book club" or "Story Hour on Saturday" scrawled across them in neat print. The two were enjoying some peppermint tea and chocolate chip cookies that were quite heavenly. Henry realized that asking for specific help with his parents might backfire. Belle liked Emma fine, but every other time he brought up bringing his parents together, she said it had to be their choice.

"So, what can I help you with?" Belle asked, setting her teacup down. "Another project at school?"

"Yes. We read Romeo and Juliet…"

"Really?" Belle raised an eyebrow. "I read that at your age, but it wasn't required reading material until junior high."

The truth was, Henry had read it on his own. There was no way that they'd have a bunch of 5th graders read a story of forbidden love and suicide. He just couldn't think of a more appropriate book.

"I thought it was weird too," Henry continued. "Anyway, we have to write our own love story now. It doesn't have to be based on Romeo and Juliet, but it needs to have conflict. I was thinking of writing about a couple that's tricked into meeting because they're too stubborn otherwise."

"Hmmm…" Belle was lost in thought for a moment as she picked up her cup and took another sip. "Well, my favorite book is Her Handsome Hero. It's a beautiful love story about a knight and princess that meet and fall in love. However, they're just a bit too stubborn. So, their friends ask them to meet somewhere and when they both show up, the friends are nowhere to be found."

"And it worked? They fell in love?"

"Not in that moment, it took time. They realized that fate was pushing them together more than they though. They still had to figure out that their love was true."

"But they ended up together in the end?"

"It wouldn't be a very compelling story if they didn't, now would it?" Belle asked with a smile.

Henry nodded, a smile of his own on his face. "Thanks, Belle. Do you think I could borrow the book from you? It sounds really good."

"Of course. You just bring it back when you're done, it's my most coveted possession."

She reached onto the shelf above her desk and pulled down the green hardback, handing it over to him. Henry carefully tucked it into his backpack.

"I'll take great care of it. Thanks again. See you on Friday!"

Belle nodded and grinned wider as he ran out the door. "Bye Henry! Good luck with your story!"

*x*

That Saturday, Neal headed to Granny's where he had promised Henry he'd meet him for dinner. The boy had been acting really secretive lately, jotting a lot of things down in a notebook and lugging around a heavy green book. He had never seen it before, but Henry was clearly invested. It didn't give him too much concern, Henry normally had his nose stuck in either a book or a video game.

When he reached the diner, Ruby stopped him, a twinkle in her eye.

"You're sitting somewhere special tonight," she said. She lead him into the room normally rented out for birthday parties or wedding receptions.

Neal raised an eyebrow. "Why am I here?"

"Privacy."

At that moment, he noticed Emma sitting at a table, alone. Neal glanced back at Ruby, who was innocently trying to inch out of the room.

"Where's my son?"

"Robin picked him up."

"Ruby…"

"Have fun. I'll be back with your drinks in a moment."

With that, the door shut and Neal shut his eyes, trying to calm down. He made his way over to the table and settled across from Emma.

"Henry ask you to dinner too?"

"No, Ruby convinced me to do a blind date."

"Well, at the very least she was honest with you."

Emma shook her head. "I can't believe she teamed up with Henry."

"Ruby's tough, but Henry melts her heart. Every year on his birthday, she makes him coffee cake and blows up balloons. She doesn't make a big deal about it, but I know it means the world to him."

She softly smiled. "Yeah, growing up in the system, she always tried to make it special for us."

"Sometimes I forget you guys were foster sisters. When did Granny find her?"

"We were 12, in the same group home. It sucked and we lost contact for a while, but I'm glad she's here." There was a beat of silence. "So, do we entertain the kid or blow it off?"

"I've been working hard all day, so honestly I could use a beer and a burger."

Emma chuckled. "Sounds good to me."

Ruby brought back the food and drinks, which just so happened to be their favorites: grilled cheese and onion rings for Emma, burger and steak fries for Neal. She gave them a wink and disappeared again after promising to come back with dessert later.

"How is this awkward?" Emma asked after they ate in silence for 10 minutes. "I mean, we've had dinners over the years together."

"Yeah, with Henry or other people around. When's the last time we were alone, just us?"

Emma flinched. "Probably the day Henry was born."

"I don't think I'd ever been so scared. Then he came…and it was all worth it."

"It really was. I can't believe I missed the first two years and then all of those moments we could've had…"

"You're here now. It's been a year and I expected you to run off during it, but you never did."

She smiled. "So, have you dated much over the years?"

"Not really. I mean, I'm not a monk or anything, but I've never been serious enough to bring anyone home to Henry. What about you?" He sipped his beer. "I never saw you with anyone."

"Well, I wasn't exactly a nun or anything," she laughed and it still took his breath away. "I didn't have what I called boyfriends, but nothing special. Not since…well, you."

"We were happy."

"We were kids." She tilted her head. "But yeah, we were happy."

"I used to wonder if what we had was love, if we were capable of knowing what that was…"

"But we did. I don't think that ever went away, either."

"It didn't?"

"Neal, I made a lot of mistakes when I was 16. I never should've walked away from Henry, but I shouldn't have walked away from you either."

Those words shook Neal to his core. Sure, he had never gotten over Emma either, but he assumed that she had. She left with such conviction and certainty about her. Every time he saw her, she was strong and smiling. She never seemed to be breaking at the sight of her, the way he did every time he saw her or heard her talk about her adventures. He had spent so long wondering if that dull pain in his heart would go away, like it had hers.

He knew she regretted leaving Henry, but him? That had never dawned on him.

"Letting you raise him alone, it was wrong," Emma continued. "You did an amazing job, better than I could've, but you were alone. You shouldn't have been, you didn't deserve what I did to you."

"We were too young back then," he managed to say.

"To get married. But who's to say that if we had gone to Stars Hollow as we once were that we wouldn't be together now?"

Neal had often considered the what ifs. Having a partner to walk with through the struggles of parenthood. To look at each other and smile when the kid said something cute. Even when he was acting out, to have someone turn to and say "Okay, they're crazy, but at least we have each other." He could've had that with anyone. Lord knows that Granny and Ruby had tried so many times over the years to set him up but he hadn't ever been able to make anything else work.

Could they have a second chance now?

"We can't change the past," he said.

Emma nodded. "But we could go forward? If that's what you wanted."

He smiled. "Yeah…I would."

It took him a moment to realize how close they were, inches apart from each other's faces. It was too soon, he wanted to tell himself. They had to talk things out, figure out if this was a reckless choice made over beers and greasy diner food. Yet, he couldn't stop inching his lips closer to her own.

Emma smirked. "Are you going to kiss me now? You are so incredibly predictable."

Neal rolled his eyes. "Says the woman that just professed love for her high school boyfriend."

The kiss had been 11 years overdue and it had never been more sweet.


	16. Wedding Bells

**queen-of-the-merry-men prompted: I think we should get married + Where you lead! Rumbelle**

Wren had felt so lonely, for so long. Sure, he'd see Henry and Neal a few times a year. He had colleagues and friends, parties to attend, but no one saw him or knew him well enough. With Belle, he finally felt whole again. She listened to what he had to say and cared about him. She loved him, in spite of all his flaws and regrets. She made him smile like an idiot and planned the best trips for them to take.

It had been a whirlwind of a year and he couldn't be happier as Belle brought out a cupcake for him. The night had been fun, lowkey. They had drinks and dinner at the bar where they met and then headed back to the house. The cupcake had a single candle in it and Belle lit it.

"Make a wish," she said, crouching by his chair so their cheeks were inches apart.

Normally, he would roll his eyes and claim he had nothing to wish for. Wishing and hope was for suckers, there wasn't fate or anything like that. This birthday, was different. He shut his eyes and blew out the candle. Belle kissed his cheek and removed it before plopping down beside him.

"What'd you wish for?"

"If I told you, it wouldn't come true."

She playfully rolled her eyes. "Yes, but if you don't tell your girlfriend then she doesn't split the cupcake with you."

"You're awfully mean to a man on his birthday," he mumbled, his lips brushing against hers.

"You forget it's also my anniversary."

"Well, of course."

"Neal and Henry couldn't come over to celebrate?"

Wren shrugged. "I told them tonight I had plans."

"I do want to meet them, you know."

"And you will, in good time. I have a surprise for you."

"Wren," she made a face. "It's your birthday."

"I know and you spoiled me rotten, but as you pointed out, it's also the anniversary of the day we first met." He reached into his suit pocket and pulled out a tiny black velvet box.

Belle's eyes widened and she took it from him, flipping the lid open. "Wren…"

"I think we should get married."

She looked up at him in wonder. "Are you sure?"

"Belle, this past year has been the happiest I've had since my son moved out. We have had so many adventures and I want that to continue. I can't think of a better way to spend the rest of my life than being your husband."

Tears pooled her eyes and she leaned forward, kissing him. "And I can't think of anything better than being your wife," she whispered once they had barely pulled apart.

He slid the ring onto her finger and it sparkled under the lights. The diamond was medium size, surrounded by sapphires that brought out the blue in her eyes. She cradled his cheek in her hand, gazing deep into what felt like his soul.

"I don't want to wait," she whispered. "Let's do it tonight."

"Are you sure? I want to throw you a proper wedding."

"As long as I'm with you, there's no doubt that it will be. I don't have very many friends and God knows there's no way my father will show up." She shrugged. "Call Neal and Henry, I'll get my old minister on the phone. Let's make this night really special. Unless a big wedding is important to you?"

"I already did the church ceremony with the chicken or fish reception." He shook his head. "Frankly, it isn't me. An intimate ceremony with my family is all I need."

So, while she went off to call Archie, he phoned Neal. It was still early and a weekend night, so there was no reason why they couldn't come on over. Unfortunately, without Wren even telling him what it was for, Neal made up an excuse as to why he couldn't come over. Deep down, Wren knew he was being childish, that if he told his son what was going on, he'd come. But it'd mean explaining why he never told him about Belle and realized maybe their wedding wasn't the proper meeting spot.

Belle was unsure if they should really carry on or wait, but Wren insisted. Archie brought by his girlfriend to be the witness and the two stood out in the garden, listening to him prattle on about love and marriage. Wren had heard the whole speech before and over time, he realized the vows that Milah recited meant little.

Now, here he stood with the woman he was confident he'd spend the rest of his life with.

He truly wasn't alone anymore.


	17. Hyperemesis Gravidarum

**bookwormchocaholic and fezfenatic both prompted: I'd rather have bird crap fall on my head.**

Belle had once been the kind of girl who dreamed about starting a family someday. She was the little girl that played with baby dolls and read to them. She had to be the mom in every game of house with her friends.

However, all little girls grow up and their dreams change. Her bookshop became her baby, she watched it grow and expand over the years. She realized if she never had kids, she'd be okay with that. When she met Wren, a 50 year old man with a 25 year old son, she faced facts that kids would never be in the cards for her. And that was okay. She had a husband that she adored more than life itself and an equipped staff so they could travel whenever she wanted. There were Neal and Henry, who she wouldn't consider her step-son and step-grandson by any means, but they were family nonetheless.

Two years into her marriage, she started feeling sick. It was nothing major at first, just a little queasy here and there, throwing up after breakfast one morning. She thought perhaps it was the preparation of eggs and asked Johanna to take the over easy style off the prep menu. Yet, it soon seemed that she couldn't keep anything down and her boobs felt…off. One night when Wren was feeling particularly frisky, she couldn't stand him touching her without feeling sick or in some sort of pain.

"Maybe you should go to the doctor," he suggested after she returned from showering the puke out of her hair. "You've been sick for over a week."

"I'd rather have bird crap fall on my head," she mumbled as she crawled under the sheets.

Wren raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"I hate doctors. It's a lot of bullocks for nothing. I only go if I'm very sick."

"And not being able to keep any food down doesn't fall under that category?"

Belle saw the concerned look he was giving her and sighed. "Alright, alright. I'll make an appointment but if he just says I have a stomach bug, you owe me."

"Oh yes, I definitely owe you so much for being a concerned husband." He pecked her lips and she smiled a bit.

The following day, she made an appointment with her doctor and allowed them to run different tests. She was sent home and told she'd be phoned a few days with results, to head to the ER if her symptoms got worse. Swallowing back a big "I told you so" for her husband, she waited patiently before being called back in.

"So, what is it? Do I have the flu?" Belle asked. "I don't see why that'd take 2 days to pop up."

"No, it's not the flu," Dr. Victor Whale said with a tilt of his head. "Mrs. Gold, you're pregnant."

Belle snorted. "That's impossible. I'm on the pill and my husband has a full drawer of condoms."

"Getting pregnant while using double protection is rare, but it does happen."

"But I just…my husband is 52," she said, trying to figure out a way for it to be impossible. "He can't get me pregnant."

"Men work a lot different than women. Sure, their odds of being able to get a woman pregnant lower as they get older, but unlike women, unless there's a standing issue, it's very much possible to impregnate someone past the typical paternal age."

Belle felt as if she was going to pass out and barely heard Whale go on about hyperemesis gravidarum. It was a condition where morning sickness was so severe and it was rare, but he believed his patient had it. She just nodded along and listened to him give her instructions, a prescription for prenatal vitamins and a list of foods that would be safe, before sending her on her way.

Pregnant. She was going to be having a child. Not just her, but Wren was going to be a father again. A part of her wanted to jump for joy at the picture of a little boy with his eyes and her hair or a little girl with the opposite, yet fear filled her. What if he wasn't happy with this? He had done it all before and now had a grandchild.

She was pretty quiet for the rest of the evening, including when Neal, Henry and Emma came over for dinner. Wren wasn't oblivious and sat her down in their room after their guests had left.

"What's going on, sweetheart?" He asked, caressing her cheek. "You've barely said two words since I got home today."

Wren was being so sweet to her and that made her feel worse. "I went back to the doctor today," she whispered.

Panic filled his eyes. "Is something wrong? Are you seriously ill?"

"Well…not really. He said I have hyperemesis gravidarum."

That caused the panic to turn to confusion. "That's a condition that pregnant women get, it's severe morning sickness."

"Yes."

"Are you…" He trailed off, seemingly speechless. "Are you pregnant?"

Belle nodded. "I don't know how it happened, we've both been pretty good about prevention…I didn't even think we could…"

"Oh Belle." A smile broke out across his face. "This is amazing news."

The fear and anxiety she felt began to melt away. "It is?"

"Of course it is. We're going to have a child." He took her hands into his. "Are you okay with this?"

"Yes, I just wasn't sure if you'd be. You have a grown son, a grandchild. I wasn't sure…"

"Truth be told, I never pictured having more kids with anyone until I met you." He sighed. "Raising Neal and helping him with Henry was the best part of my life. I know that I didn't always do right…"

"Wren…"

"No, it's true. I didn't. I screwed up a lot but I still love being a father, a grandfather." He stroked her cheek. "I can't think of anything better than our next adventure being a child. That is, if it's what you want."

"It is," she breathed.

"Then this is one of the best days of my life."

Belle kissed him and leaned into his body, feeling his muscles relax. They were going to be adding to their little family.


	18. Sleep Well, My Bairnie

**imgilmoregirl said: "Shut up for a minute, will ya?" for Where You Lead verse? ;)**

"I will help you financially, but the heavy lifting is on your own."

This was what Wren had told his son time and time again throughout Emma's pregnancy. He had already done his share of dirty diapers and late night feedings. He was a professor with lectures to prepare and other important things to deal with. Obviously, his son was too young to go out and get a job that could properly support the baby, so he would lend the financial support. Some would say he was coddling his son, but if he didn't help Neal there, then Henry would suffer and he didn't want that. He planned on staying firm, however, in not doing the heavy lifting.

It only lasted a month before he realized that while he had done all of that stuff before, at least he had help. Milah was a good mother in the beginning, she fixed bottles and changed diapers. She even sang songs to Neal when he couldn't sleep. It wasn't until later on, when parenting got harder that she bowed out. Even so, he was never alone in those early years.

Now, his son was. Miss Swan had left the state and they hadn't heard from her since. The odds of her returning were slim to none, which meant that his son was truly in it by himself. Wren tried to stick to his word, how else would his son ever take him seriously? Neal didn't ask for his help, either. It was if he knew that turning to his father for anything but a ride to the doctor's for Henry's appointments was going to equal a no.

One late night in particular, he was up fixing his lesson plan. When it was as perfect as it could get, he headed into the hall to get a final glass of water before bed. He could hear Henry's shrieking coming from the nursery. He walked down the hall but paused in the doorway of the sound of the noise. Henry was crying loudly and wiggling in Neal's arms, as the teenager sat on the floor, tears falling down his face as well.

"I don't know what to do for you, Henry," he whispered. "I've changed your diaper, I gave you a bottle. What is it? Why won't you just go back to sleep? I'll do anything, I'll give you anything you want."

Henry cried louder and Wren could tell he was picking up on his father's stress. Neal leaned his head back, hitting his head on the crib followed by cursing himself. Wren sighed and walked in further, looking around the room.

He had tried to play off the nursery as something Mary Margaret had done on her own. She had never gotten to have a baby, which is why she and David fostered. Despite her foster daughter's insistence on not wanting one at her house, she had come by to decorate one at the Gold's. Wren helped her more than he'd like to admit, choosing both color and theme. The walls were a dark blue and while he wasn't one for overly themed things, he had allowed her to stencil some clouds on the wall and hang a few airplanes around the place. Neal loved it and Wren did too.

Neal looked up at his father and tried to blink away the tears. "I'm sorry, is he keeping you up?"

"No, the walls are pretty thick. I was just tweaking my lesson plan."

He nodded, clearly wanting to say something, but also afraid of any backlash from his father. "Oh."

"You know, he can probably pick up on your stress."

"What?"

"You're upset, which isn't helping."

"I've gotten four hours of sleep in the past week, I don't know how else to feel right now. It's not like I can…"

"Shut up for a minute, will ya?" Neal shut his mouth, worried his dad would lecture him about his whining, but the next words surprised him. "Deep breaths. In, then out," Wren demonstrated on his own. "In, then out."

Neal copied for a bit, slowly yet clearly calming down. "He's still crying."

"It's not an exact science." He hesitated but then saw the desperation in his son's eyes. How could he just leave him there? "Here, give him to me."

"Pop…"

"Just this once."

Neal hesitated, but stood up and handed his son over. Wren carried the squirming baby to the rocking arm chair and settled down in it, softly beginning to sing a lullaby. It was one his aunts sang to him when he was a young boy and he had done the same for Neal.

Slep weel, ma bairnie, sleep

The lang, lang shadows creep

The fairies play on the munelicht brae

An' the stars are on the deep.

Henry stilled halfway through, though he was still fussing a bit. Wren reached up and grabbed the lavender lotion off the changing table, slowly rubbing some on his chest. It caused the shrieking to stop, quickly followed by the tears. Quietly, Wren stood and placed him in the bassinet by the crib. Neal stared at him with wide eyes.

"I can't believe that worked."

Wren shrugged. "It did for you."

"I thought I recognized the song…" He sighed, running his fingers through his thick curls. "I feel like I'm messing up."

"It takes time, Neal. You figure out what works best for your child. You're new at this…" He trailed off with a sigh. "You're also only 16 and doing it by yourself."

"Well, as you told me, it's what I signed up for by keeping him."

"Yes, however…maybe I was a bit rash in insisting that the only help I can give you is monetary. I'm not saying I'll do this every night, but you shouldn't have to do this alone."

Neal shook his head. "I have to. He's my kid, my responsibility. This is how you raised me."

"I'm just saying, sometimes, it's okay to ask for help."

He knew his son wouldn't, that perhaps that was his fault for how things started in the beginning. But, he bought a second monitor and hid it in the nursery. Neal had no idea he did this, but a few nights a week, Wren allowed his son to sleep and tended to his grandson. Sometimes, they even went for quick rides in the car. The baby boy had him wrapped around his finger and he realized, maybe Henry was his second chance. To right all the wrongs he did with Neal. Subconsciously, he knew it wasn't the right way to look at it, but he did.

Wren loved Henry, so much. More than anyone, including Neal, would ever realize.


	19. Lacey

**Fezfenatic prompted: Do with it what you will... for Where you lead... "Don't look at me, I had nothing to do with it."**

**Combining this with queen-of-the-merry-men prompt: Okay now that you've mentioned Lacey, please do a oneshot where Henry sees her with James and assumes that Belle is cheating on his grandfather.**

It had taken Henry some time to make friends at Arendelle Prep and there were a few cases of trial and error. Nick Branson had pretended to be his friend, but was really just a big bully and in the end, Henry wanted no part of his little circle. Eventually, he found his own. Grace, Jacinda and Liam were all good kids. Neal and Emma approved of them hanging out and they were the few that actually didn't mind heading to Stars Hollow to hang out.

Fast forward two years and they were still best friends. After school one day, they decided to head into town and grab some ice cream. It was on the way there that Henry caught a sight that made his stomach turn.

Belle was leaning up against a wall in the alley way, her hair a mess and she was wearing skin tight leather. That wasn't the bothersome part. No, that role went to the fact that she was sucking face with a man that wasn't his grandfather. In fact, it was Emma's old foster father: David Nolan.

"You okay, Henry?" Grace asked, fiddling with the strap on her backpack.

Henry shook it off, knowing he couldn't very well tell his friends what was going on. "Nothing. Let's just go get ice cream."

The image stuck with him all day. How could Belle cheat on his grandfather? They seemed so happy. They were always smiling and he had never seen his grandfather smile much before they started having dinner together. He wasn't naïve, he knew that sometimes people cheated, but Belle? She just didn't seem the type.

He was quiet as he picked at his food that night, not saying a word. Neal raised an eyebrow, tilting his head.

"I know it's not Granny's, but I think my pasta's not too bad," Neal quipped. Henry didn't even smile and that worried him. "What's going on, kid?"

"It's nothing."

"It's something."

"You're gonna get mad."

Neal sighed, wiping his mouth and setting the napkin down. "Did you talk back to your teacher?"

"No."

"Kill someone?"

"Dad!"

"Well, I'm trying to figure out why I'd be mad at you."

"Not at me…Belle."

"Well now I'm doubly confused."

"I went to get ice cream this afternoon with my friends and I saw her in an alley, making out with Uncle David."

Neal's face scrunched up. "Are you sure about that?"

"Yeah, it was her alright. She wasn't wearing the same clothes though."

There was heavy silence and Henry could see anger go across his father's face.

"Dad?"

"Milah hurt him enough….I never thought…I mean everyone always said she would cheat but I never believed it. I thought she really loved him."

"Maybe it was just a mistake."

"Maybe."

"Are you going to tell Grandpa?"

"I don't know." He sighed, rubbing his temples. "It's not exactly an easy situation. I can't just very well blurt out, your wife's cheating on you."

"But he deserves to know."

"I know that, bud. Again, this is just a really complicated matter."

They returned to their dinner, but neither really ate. Both were thinking the same thing: how could Belle do such a thing?

*x*

That Friday, Neal and Henry allowed the housekeeper to lead them inside. Neal had been battling what to do about Belle. The truth was, he hadn't seen it himself. He didn't think Henry would lie, but maybe he was mistaken. Oh, how he hoped to hell that Henry was mistaken.

When they went into the living room, however, they found Belle cuddled up into David's side. Neal's fist clenched. Okay, it was one thing for Belle to cheat on his father, but in his own home?

"Belle, what the fuck?" Neal asked.

She raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"You're cheating on my father, with…David Nolan of all people?"

Belle stared at him, blinking a couple of times before laughing, David too. Neal threw his hands up in the air.

"Well I'm glad you two find it hilarious."

"I'm not Belle," she said. "My name's Lacey, Belle's twin sister."

Lacey. Belle had mentioned her a couple of times. She had been cut off by Moe when they were younger and that Lacey traveled the world. Suddenly, Neal felt really stupid, as did Henry.

"Dad, I swear, I didn't realize…" Henry started, but Neal shook his head.

"It's okay." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Lacey…nice to meet you. I'm uh, Neal."

"My sister's step-son." Lacey snorted. She looked over at the boy next to him. "And you're Henry."

"You are aware that this man is married, don't you?"

"I'm not David, I'm James. His cousin," the man who wasn't David after all explained. "We get that a lot though."

"Oh. Well…now I feel really stupid."

Lacey laughed. "It's okay. It happened to my sister and I a lot over the years. We'll make up for it."

Wren and Belle entered the room, seeing the stunned faces of Neal and Henry. Belle huffed, folding her arms over her chest.

"Lacey, did you say something to offend them?" She asked.

Lacey rolled her eyes. "Don't look at me, I had nothing to do with it."

"There was a bit of a mix up," Neal said. "Some warning that your identical twin sister was in town would've been nice."

It took a minute, but Belle and Wren caught on. "Oh, yes, I'm sure it was confusing to see my wife cuddled up with Mr. Nolan," Wren said, smirking.

Neal shook his head. He was never going to live this one down. Thankfully, they had no clue about what Henry had saw, so he'd take most of the heat. "So, what brings these guests about? Normally, you're pretty insistent that it's just the four of us."

"Well, since that number's going to change soon, we figured we'd test the waters," Belle explained.

"What?"

She grinned, grasping her husband's hand. Wren was smiling just as big. "We're pregnant. With twins."

Lacey squeaked, but tossed her scotch down and jumped up, throwing her arms around her sister. James rose and shook Wren's hand, congratulating them. Henry got in on the hugs, commenting about how his aunts or uncles would be 12 years younger than he was.

Neal stood still, processing the information. He had never asked for a baby brother or sister growing up. He never thought that his father was capable of being in a relationship to last that long. When he married Belle, he figured that no one with a grandchild would have another one.

Wren treated Henry better than he had Neal. He respected his dreams, including the ones about going to Harvard-even though it was his rival school. He listened to his interests and had even set up a room at the house which had all of the things that Henry loved. Neal couldn't remember his father doing that for him, he had only ever told him that his way was the wrong one.

"Aren't you too old?" The words escaped Neal's mouth before he could help it.

Wren looked up, his excitement turning to disgust. "Believe it or not son, I'm only 53."

"Right. Right…I…I think I forgot something in the car."

He headed out to the Jeep and rested his head against the cool metal. He wasn't jealous. He was just…hurt. His father found this new perfect wife, that he'd have the perfect children with. They wouldn't have greasy hair and like heavy metal bands.

"Neal."

His father's voice startled him, he hadn't expected anyone to follow him. He turned around, folding his arms over his chest.

"What's up?"

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, just checking the temperature of the Jeep."

Wren drew a deep breath back. "You don't always have to have some smart remark, you know. For once can we just talk?"

Neal blinked. "You want to talk? That's not us, Pop. All we ever do is fight."

"And I think you know we both play a role in that. We…we don't know how to communicate very well, do we?"

"Understatement of the year," Neal mumbled.

"See, that's what I mean. I'm out here trying and you're just going to be sarcastic. You know what, forget it."

He started heading for the house and Neal knew in that this was a defining moment in their relationship. There had been one the first time he called his father and refused to come home. Then again after their fight at the first Friday Night Dinner. Both times, they hadn't said how they felt.

Wren was right. They sucked at communicating and that had to stop.

"I…I can't believe you're having more kids."

Wren paused, turning around. "Is this about me being old again?"

"No."

"Then what, you think I'll be a terrible father?"

"No. Believe it or not, you weren't that terrible with me. You made mistakes, but you did it all out of love. You…you were a hell of a lot better than your own father."

Wren looked touched, but still confused. "Then what?" He saw the hesitance in his son's eyes and walked closer. "Please, Neal, talk to me."

"You're amazing with Henry, you know? You redid his old room with all of his favorite things. You remember his favorite foods. I know you'll be like that with the twins."

"Okay. Then what's the problem?"

"Why couldn't you have been like that with me? Why couldn't you ever just listen and see me?" He bit down his lip, shaking his head. "Nothing I ever wanted was okay. Yale was the only way, my music was too loud. Heck, you couldn't even listen to me about Henry's birthday party! I just…I don't understand what changed? Why couldn't you have been this man when I was a kid?"

Wren saw the pain in Neal and it broke his heart. He always focused on how Neal had hurt him, but never the other way around.

"I don't know," Wren admitted. "I guess I…I thought it was the right way to do things. I thought that pushing you would lead you on the right path. I never thought it'd push you away. When it did, I knew I had to change. It was too late for us, though."

He gripped his cane and closed the gap between them.

"I am sorry, son. I'm sorry for not being the father that you wished I was. There's a lot, I would change and I hope you believe that."

Neal gulped. "I do. And I hope you know I'm sorry too. I…I never meant to hurt you."

"I know." Wren nodded. "I forgave you a long time ago."

He clapped Neal on the shoulder and the two men looked each other in the eye. Wren wrapped his son in his arms and Neal hugged him back even tighter.

"I love you, son," Wren whispered.

"I love you too, Papa," Neal mumbled, resting his chin on his father's head.


	20. He's A Little Runaway

**This is make take on the episode "P.S I Lo...". Thank you to queen-of-the-merry-men for helping me with the reason that Henry ran away.**

Henry was only 10, but he didn't think there was any way that he could be happier. His mom was back in town and she had gotten her own apartment in town. She was spending more time with not only him, but his dad too, even coming to a Friday night dinner. He doubted it would happen again, it was still nice. He had a feeling that it was actually going to happen this time. His parents would get back together and they would finally become a family.

Then one day, he came home to find Regina and his dad in front of the mirror in the hall, consulting ties.

"What's going on?" He asked.

Regina grinned, ruffling his hair. "I finally convinced your dad here to go on a date with someone. It's been long enough."

Henry beamed. "Yeah?"

"You guys act like I'm a monk," Neal mumbled, scratching the back of his neck. "I have gone on dates before."

"But it's been forever," Regina pointed out. "I'm just glad you let me set you up."

Henry paused, tilting his head. Regina had only met his mom once and they didn't exactly get along very well. She hadn't understood why Emma could just abandon them both like that and only occasionally visit throughout the years. She was even more hesitant about her after she came back. There wasn't a good chance that she would set them up.

"Who's the date with?" He asked.

Neal set the ties down and worked off the jacket that Regina had forced him to try on. "Ariel, she works with Regina."

"Speaking of which, I better go check on her," Regina said, looking at her phone. "Fashion emergency." She squeezed Neal's shoulder and walked out.

Henry's frown only grew. "Why would you go on a date with her?"

"She seems really nice, I've met her a few times when Regina couldn't do the deliveries." Neal shrugged. "It's not a big deal, bud. Nothing serious."

"You're supposed to go out with Mom!"

Neal sighed. "Bud, come on. We've talked about this. Your mom and I are just friends."

"You didn't used to be."

"And that was a long time ago. Come on, your mom's back and we're all getting along so great. Isn't that a good thing?"

"You two are supposed to end up back together! She's finally here now, why can't you give her a chance?"

"Well, it doesn't work like that. Both of us would have to want that and we're good with being friends."

"That's crap!"

"Hey," Neal lifted a warning finger. "You might not be thrilled with me right now and if you really hate Ariel, I won't date her. But just because I don't go out with her, it doesn't mean that I won't ever date again and it's not going to be your mom. You may not understand now, but you will someday."

"All I understand is that you're being stupid!"

Henry stormed up the stairs, ignoring his father's calls for him to come back down. He slammed his door shut and flopped back on the bed, folding his arms over his chest. This wasn't fair. Things were finally falling into place and now his dad was going to date some random girl? Why couldn't he see that he belonged with his mom? His dad wasn't even listening to him, in his mind, he needed to go somewhere that people would.

*x*

Neal gave Henry time to cool off. He understood how the kid felt. Henry had mentioned his parents getting back together numerous times as a kid, but he always seemed to be okay when Neal would go on dates. Now, Neal realized that with Emma back in the picture, it wasn't going to be easy. The were both going to be moving on, heck he assumed that she had dated over the years as well. It'd be naïve to think otherwise.

Henry was so incredibly smart. He could read books at a near college level, he consumed history books like they were the Bible and he was even improving with math since he had started at his new school. They could discuss movies, music and books that most parents and children wouldn't. Yet, in many ways, Henry was still a little kid. He was only 10 and all his life, he had just wanted his parents together.

Ariel could wait. He texted her asking to reschedule for another night and she was perfectly understanding. After a half hour, he headed up to Henry's room and knocked on the door.

"Bud?" Silence. "I know that you're mad at me, but can we talk about this? Please? I'm willing to hear you out, if you hear me."

Still nothing. He knocked a couple of more times but then got a little worried. As mad as he got, at least Henry would give a grunt of acknowledgement. He pushed open the door and saw the room empty, which caused his hear to pick up. He checked every room upstairs and even the one downstairs, despite the fact that he had been by the stairs the entire time and would've seen them.

Panic seeped through his veins. Where was his son? Had something happened to him? Racing back up the stairs, he noticed the window in his bedroom was open and there was still that old trellis he never removed. Robin had once joked that it'd make it easy for Henry to sneak girls up into his room. Neal had laughed it off, but now it no longer seemed so hilarious.

Grabbing his phone from his pocket, he dialed his best friend. "Robin…it's me…Henry's missing!"

*x*

Wren was in the midst of reading his colleague's novel when he heard the doorbell ring. He wasn't expecting anyone, so assumed it was a package or a door to door salesman, so he left it to the maid or Belle to take care of. A moment later, he heard the latter calling his name.

"I'm reading, Belle," he called back. "Can this wait?"

"Not exactly."

He sighed and placed a marker, heading out of the study and downstairs. He was shocked to find his grandson, still in his school uniform, standing next to his wife.

"Henry? What are you doing here?"

Henry wrapped his arms over his chest, gnawing on his lip. "Dad and I got in a fight. Can I stay here?"

Wren looked at Belle, who appeared to be as shocked as he felt.

"Does your father know you're here?" He asked. Henry shook his head and he frowned. His son had to be out of his mind. "So, you ran away."

"I just…had to get out of there."

"Well, I'm going to be taking you home."

Henry's jaw dropped open. "Grandpa!"

"You can't just runaway, Henry. Your poor father is probably worried sick, I don't care what the argument was about."

Henry looked at Belle and she shook her head. "I'm with Wren on this one, sweetheart. You can't just runaway with things get tough."

"Dad did," Henry mumbled.

"Yes, and look at the mess that caused."

Wren sent a quick text, grabbed his keys and headed out to his Cadillac. Henry followed begrudgingly and slammed the passenger door behind him as he got in.

"So," Wren said once they were on the road. "You want to tell me what the fight was about?"

Henry shrugged. "You're taking me back anyway."

"Yes, but that doesn't mean I'm not curious."

He sighed, drumming his fingers on the dashboard. "Dad has a date tonight."

Wren raised an eyebrow. "With your mother?"

"No. I wish it was with her."

"Ah," He chuckled a bit. "You were hoping that your parents would get back together."

"It's not funny."

"You're right. It's not. I'm sure you got your hopes up and now it's disappointing." He turned on his blinker to get onto the highway. "Who's this woman he wants to go out with?"

"Ariel."

"Is she nice?"

"I guess. I mean, I only met her a couple of times. She's one of the liquor suppliers for the inn."

"Sounds like someone right up your father's alley." Wren hated to admit it, but it was true.

"But she's not my mom," Henry stressed. "They're supposed to end up together in the end. They were in love once, I saw pictures. That doesn't just go away."

Wren smiled softly as he thought of Emma and Neal's puppy love. As much as he might of protested it, they were happy. They did everything together and Emma was constantly at the house. He had never thought it was true, actual love until he saw his son so heartbroken. It was then he realized that just because he didn't consider it real-it didn't mean it was.

"Maybe not, but I also know that you can't force two people together when they don't want to be."

Henry's frown increased. "Do you think they'll ever get back together?"

"I don't know," Wren said, honestly. "What I do know is, sometimes the best things can come out of the unexpected."

"Yeah, right."

"I certainly didn't expect to become a grandfather so young, yet I was pretty darn happy to hold you for the first time."

The frown slowly cracked. "Really?"

"Yeah. Who knows, maybe Ariel and your dad will be really happy together. Or, maybe he'll find someone else. Your mom, too." He braced himself for what he had to say next, but he knew it'd be a possibility. "Or…maybe one day they'll even find their way back to each other. If they don't, just know that they love you, so much Henry. And they both deserve to be happy."

He heard his grandson sigh and nestle against the seats, though he didn't argue any further.

*x*

Neal was pacing the living room as he spoke with Mrs. Fa. Apparently, Mulan hadn't seen Henry all day. Emma covered his Arendelle friends, but that was a no-go too. Neal hung up his phone, shaking his head.

"Nothing. Dammit," he threw his hands in the air. "The one time I want Mrs. Fa to be anal, of course she's not."

Robin put a hand on his back. "He'll be okay. We'll find him."

"This is driving me crazy, he knew this would drive me crazy."

Emma bit her lip as she walked back over to the group. "I just got off the phone with Ruby, he hasn't been at the diner. Granny hasn't seen him either."

"Dammit, dammit."

"Is there anyone else he'd go to?"

"No. That's…that's pretty much it."

"I'll go check my house," Robin said. "Maybe he just needed a sympathetic couch to crash on. I'll call Regina while I'm at it."

"Thanks, Robin." Neal watched him walk out the door and ran his fingers through his hair. His phone buzzed suddenly and he read a text…from his father.

**Henry came to Greenwich. Driving him home now.**

A mixture of relief and yet even more anxiety filled him.

"He's with my father."

Emma let out a huge breath. "That's good."

"Good? He ran away to my dad." Neal sunk onto the couch and she sat beside him. "He was so mad at me, that he'd rather be my dad. What does that say about me?"

"I think it says a lot about your dad that he's bringing him home."

"Oh, I'm sure I'll never hear the end of it. He ran away to go be with him, I'm such a terrible father."

"Your dad sucks, but I don't know that he'd be too cruel."

"You obviously don't know him that well then."

Emma rolled her eyes. "Why'd he leave, anyway?"

"I had a date…and he was mad because it wasn't with you."

"Oh." Emma frowned. "Poor kid."

"I've told him so many times we're just friends."

"And sometimes we do such a good job, the kid thinks there's a chance. It's normal."

"Still, it's been 10 years. You'd think…"

"You know, even at 26, I wonder what would've been if my parents kept me," Emma interrupted. "And that was over double the time ago that we broke up."

"I know. I feel awful. I think it'd be easier if he just didn't like my date because they were awful. I'd just dump them. But if he's never going to be happy unless I'm with you…"

"It'll take time." Emma patted his hand. "You deserve to be happy, Neal. You gave up so much, it's your turn to have it all."

"You too, you know."

"I do. And maybe one day I'll find someone, for now I'm good with the kid."

"Me too."

Neal and Emma waited for Wren to pull up with Henry. The minute they hit the porch, Emma opened the door and enveloped Henry in her arms, kissing the top of his head.

"You gave us a scare, kid," she said.

"I'm sorry, Mom," he mumbled into her chest.

"Never again, okay?" She looked back at Neal and gave him a soft smile. "I'll give you guys some privacy."

"Thanks, Emma."

Once she was gone, Neal let go of his worry and anxiety, hugging his son tighter than he ever had before. Henry hugged him back just as tight, if not tighter.

"I'm so sorry, Dad," he whispered, clinging tightly to his shirt. "I'm…I'm so sorry."

"I know, buddy, but still…" He let out a deep breath. "I was terrified. I thought something awful happened."

"I won't do it again. I promise."

"Good."

Neal kissed Henry's temple and held onto him for what felt like forever, but was probably just a few minutes. He eventually let go and gestured to the living room.

"Go wait there, please," he said, wiping the stray tears from his eyes. Henry nodded and walked off. Neal turned to his father, trying to collect his emotions. "Thank you, for bringing him back."

"Yes, well…I know how scary that is."

Neal flinched. "Pop…"

"It's not a guilt thing, son. I just truly would never wish this on another parent." He took in his son, who had clearly been dressed for a date. "I hope this Ariel is worth all the fuss."

He walked back to his car and Neal let out a deep breath, closing the door behind him. He headed into the living room and sat next to his son.

"So…going to my dad? Really?" He made a face. "I'm that bad?"

"I just…I didn't like that you were going to be with someone other than mom."

"I've been with them before."

"Yeah but that was before she lived here." Henry sighed. "I thought that when she moved here, things would be different."

"They are, Henry. She's there for you more, we can hang out as a family. That doesn't mean that we're going to get back together."

"Have you ever thought about it?"

Neal smiled a bit. "Sometimes, but I know that we're better off as friends. Look, I don't have to date Ariel if you don't like her. But I will date someone, someday. And I can't guarantee it'd be your mom."

"I know." Henry nodded. "I just want you to be happy, Dad."

"And I want you to be happy." He kissed the top of his head. "Next time, please don't run away."

"I won't, I promise."

"How'd you get to Greenwich anyway?"

Henry bit his lip. "I uh…may have stolen your phone from your room and ordered an Uber."

Neal shook his head. "Well, you can work that off at the inn. And you're grounded."

"Seriously?"

"You nearly gave me a heart attack, you're lucky I'm ever consider letting you out of my sight again."


	21. Storytime With Mama

**Prompted to me by queen-of-the-merry-men, based on an episode of On My Block. Henry gets emotional over what could've been.**

Henry laughed as he watched Gideon push Alba in the play car down the little ramp that his grandfather had built. If anyone had told him that one day he'd babysit his aunt and uncle, he'd tell them they were crazy. It'd been two years since they were born, however, and now it was a common sight. Belle didn't trust very many people with her babies and Henry was responsible, so he'd come over once every other week so she and Wren could have a date night. Or, in the case of that night, a date afternoon.

Gideon Edmund and Alba Collette had brought the family even closer together. They were adorable, so incredibly loving while also being as stubborn as their parents. Neal was a great big brother and any resentment he may have had, washed away the moment he held them. Henry was happy to have them in his life as well. From the way things were going, it seemed that they might be the closest things he'd get to younger siblings.

Belle's voice came from the doorway, breaking Henry from his thoughts. "Well looks like my little monkeys are acting crazy as ever."

Alba and Gideon stopped what they were doing and rushed over to her. "Mama!" They squealed at the same time.

She giggled, swooping them up in her arms and showering kisses to their faces. "How were they?" She asked Henry.

"Great. Gideon didn't a lot of dinner, but I think it was because he was snacking on so many carrot sticks beforehand."

"Sounds about right. You're sleeping here?"

Henry nodded, he normally did after babysitting. "Yeah, I should probably head to my room. Unless you want me to clean up?"

"Don't worry about it. You've done enough."

Henry headed towards his room at his grandfather's and texted his dad to let him know that Belle and Wren were home. The delayed text let him know that he and his mother were probably having a date night of their own, which made him smile even wider. Soon, his parents would be married and they'd be a family-for real.

He was texting his friends about meeting up the next afternoon before he went back to Stars Hollow, when he heard Belle asking the twins if they'd like a story before bed. He rose to his feet and went to the nursery doorway, standing so he was out of sight. If Belle and Wren came back before bedtime, he constantly found himself doing this. Some would say he was torturing himself, but he couldn't help it.

Henry was glad to have Emma back in his life-for good-over the past 4 years. They had built a special relationship and there was no doubting that she was his mother. Yet, there was a dull pain in his heart. She had barely been there for 8 years, not at all the 2 before then. He understood why and he wasn't mad, but it still hurt. He had never had a mom to read bedtime stories to him, drop him off at school or cuddle with. He had his dad and that was great…but there was something different about a mom.

Belle was on an arm chair, the twins cuddled up on her lap as she read a story to them. "On the night you were born, you brought wonder and magic to the world. The moon stayed up till morning. Polar bears danced…"

She was patient with them as they interrupted the stories a few times to ask questions about the night that they were born or to fill her in on random things that happened while she had been on her date. She gave them a million kisses and cuddles, quietly hushing them so she could get back to the story.

A single tear fell down Henry's cheek, followed by another. He moved his hand over his mouth and bit his lip so no one would hear him. What he would've given for a mom to tell him that story at his age. To hear it from her point of view. To know that after that, she had brought them home and cared for them.

His mom had been gone from the moment he left the hospital.

And no amount of making up for lost time would ever change the fact that Henry hadn't had a mother for the first 10 years of his life. That if she and his dad had another child together, she'd be there for him or her from the beginning. He was the result of a teen pregnancy, to a young girl who just hadn't known how to be a mother.

It just wasn't fair.


	22. The Truth

** imgilmoregirl prompted: Henry talking to Emma about how he feels about her absence in his life**

Emma settled the last box down, blowing a stray curl that fell in front of her face. She had never been one to collect much stuff. Growing up, she moved so often, she had nothing that was really hers. The few things she kept in the box were the baby blanket she was found in, a video camera she stole when she was 12, a picture of her and Neal along with ones of Henry and the swan keychain Neal had given her for her sixteenth birthday. She'd always have a few outfits, her standard leather jacket included, but outside that, she wasn't very sentimental.

Then she moved to Storybrooke and all that changed. Ruby dragged her shopping so she wasn't doing laundry every few days and to decorate her loft.

Now that she was finally moving in with Neal and Henry, she was starting to realize exactly how much had changed since she moved to Stars Hollow. Though, the changes within her had been bigger. All her life, she had ran. Ran from foster homes, ran from her son, from any chance of settling down and being happy. 4 years after moving to Stars Hollow, she couldn't imagine being anywhere else.

The door opened and shut downstairs, which was odd considering Neal had just left to go get food. "Forget something, Neal?"

"It's me, Mom," Henry's voice carried up the stairs.

"Oh, hey kid." She listened to his footsteps come up and enter his room. "How was babysitting for the twins?"

"It was…okay." He sat down on the bed, looking around at all the boxes. "Where's Dad?"

"He went to go get food."

"Oh."

Emma titled her head, taking in his pale face. "You okay?" She sat next to him. "You don't look so good."

"I um…I wanted to talk to you about something."

"You know we can talk about anything."

"What made you know that you wanted to come back in my life?"

Emma blinked a few times. She hadn't been expecting that. Ever since she moved to Stars Hollow, she and Henry hadn't discussed the past. Little by little, he had spent more time with her and then when she started dating Neal, they were together all the time. Henry often said she had made up for lost time, but clearly, something wasn't all there in his eyes.

"Well, I realized I had seen the world and that I had made the wrong choice. I should've stayed with you and your dad when you were a baby, not traveled."

Henry bit his lip. "But why didn't you stay?"

She sighed, running her fingers through her thick curls. "I…I was young, kid."

"So was Dad."

"Very true. I guess I just didn't know how to be a mom. Until I got with the Nolans, I didn't know what a healthy dynamic was."

"And then neither did I."

"Henry…"

"I needed you, Mom." He didn't sound angry, just hurt. "I had Dad, but I always felt like something was missing. Then you'd visit or we'd go to see you and I'd realize what it was. We needed you, I needed you."

Emma saw the pain in her son's eyes and it ripped at her heart. She was unsure of what she could say to soothe this pain. Pain she had inflicted.

"Last night, I heard Belle reading the twins a bedtime story. I realized…I never had that. I mean, Dad read to me, but you never did. You never picked me up from school or saw my first steps or anything…"

Tears sparked Emma's eyes and she blinked a few times, doing everything she could so they didn't fall. "I don't know what I can say," she whispered. "I wish I could turn back time…"

"I don't want that. And I'm not saying this to make you feel bad…I just realized I needed to say it before you and Dad got married. Before you two possibly had more kids. You always said I could be honest about how I felt and this is it."

"I am so sorry, Henry. I'm just…I'm sorry."

"I know you are."

"Are you sure you're okay with this? Your father and I getting married?"

"Yes. Just because I feel this way doesn't mean I want things to change, I'm happy with how things are now. The past just hurts…a lot."

Emma nodded, wiping the few stray tears that fell. "Maybe we can do something to help this. I know nothing can fix it, I'm not sure that anything can make up for what my childhood was like…but I don't want you hurting like this."

"Maybe we could talk to Dr. Hopper? He's Ruby's friend. She went to go see him about her mom."

She softly smiled in spite of her tears. "Whatever you need, kid."

Henry smiled and gave her a hug, which caught her off guard. She hugged him tighter for a minute, kissing the top of his head. She watched as he ran out of the room to unpack his bag, shutting the door behind him before she let out a shaky breath. Her hand went over her mouth and the tears flooded down her cheeks.

She had done to her son, the same thing her biological parents had done to her.

It was something that Henry's heart would never recover from…nor would her own.


	23. On The Night You Were Born

** imagilmoregirl prompted: Wren being all nervous and anxious on the night the twins were born.**

**This turned into not just being about the twins, but tying into Henry (and even Neal's) births as well. A twist on "Dear Emily & Richard" and Rumpelsitlskin canonically meeting Bae for the first time. As always, prompts are welcome for this verse!**

Neal was in his office doing some paperwork, when Cruella popped her head in. "Your father is on the phone."

"What does he want?"

"I may run the front desk, but I'm not your secretary. See for yourself."

He rolled his eyes at the rude woman, following her out to the desk. He took the phone from its cradle and held it to his ear.

"What's up, Pop?" He asked.

"Belle's in labor."

"Oh. Oh!" Neal blinked a couple of times. It was 3 weeks before her due date, but with twins, they knew they had a good chance of coming early. "Do you want me to come down to the hospital?"

"I actually need a ride. I wouldn't ask, but my car is in the shop and there are no bloody Ubers in the area right now."

"I can be there in a half hour. Don't worry."

Hanging up the phone, he got some people to cover for him and headed off. He didn't think much about what was going on at first, he was just in auto-pilot mode. His father had told him stories of how he had missed his own birth. Milah hadn't called him when she went into labor, since he was away on his first case and didn't think he'd bother to come home. He stressed how important it was that he be there for Belle giving birth to the twins.

Ever since she announced her pregnancy, Neal and Wren's relationship had slowly begun to improve. They had dinners just the two of them, enjoying brandy and talking about the better parts of the old days. They confronted their demons and argued, other times they cried over the happiness and sad. Wren opened up to him a bit about his childhood and while it didn't excuse everything that happened during Neal's…it made sense. They were growing closer, having the relationship that they always dreamed of.

As Neal pulled onto the highway, his mind drifted back to when their relationship wasn't necessarily the best…but a time in which his father had stuck by his side.

**12 ½ years Ago**

Neal woke up in the middle of the night to his phone ringing. Blinking the sleep from his eyes, he reached over and grabbed it, seeing an unknown number scrawled across the caller ID. He pressed the tiny green button and kept the phone between his ear and shoulder.

"Hello?" He mumbled.

"Neal, it's Mary Margaret Nolan. Emma's in labor."

Neal shot up in bed, nearly dropping the phone in the process. "What?"

"She was having some contractions earlier this evening, but said it was nothing. They've gotten worse though and David and I finally convinced her to go to the hospital. The doctors say she's 5 centimeters dilated."

"I…I'll be right there."

Hanging up the phone, Neal's mind began to spin. He was going to be a father. This was the moment he had attempted to prepare for, for months, but nothing really could. His mind flashed to his learner's permit, which he had only gotten a couple of months ago. It wouldn't be for another few more that he'd have his license, which meant he had a few choices.

He could steal the Jeep his father had given him to learn how to drive ("No way in hell are you crashing my Mercedes as you perfect parallel parking.") or he could wake up his father and ask him to drive him. In that scenario, his father could possibly cause a scene at the hospital, make Emma feel uncomfortable and ruin everything. But in the other…he'd be alone.

So, he went further down the hall to the master bedroom and pushed open the heavy oak doors. His father was softly snoring, looking put together, even in his sleep. Slowly, he padded across the plush carpet and shook him gently.

"Papa," he whispered. "Papa, wake up."

Wren's eyes flickered open. "Neal? What's going on?" It had been a good 8 years at least since his son had woken him in the middle of the night and his mind instantly went back to what it used to. "Bad dream?"

"What? No. Emma's in labor. I…I need a ride to the hospital."

Wren sat up, turning on the bedside lamp which made both of them have to adjust to the sudden light. "How far along is she?"

"Mary Margaret said 5 centimeters. That's like…halfway there, right?"

"Yes. You go get dressed and I will too."

Neal lingered there for a minute. "Papa…"

"I know, I know. It's going to be okay."

And for a moment, Neal actually believed him.

**Present Day**

Neal pulled up in front of his father's house and watched as he scurried out the door, nearly tripping over his cane. He bit his lip to suppress a smile and unlocked the doors as soon as Wren made his way over. He didn't even wait for his father to put on his seatbelt before pulling out of the driveway.

"How far along is Belle?" Neal asked.

Wren consulted his phone. "Six centimeters, Lacey took her. Luckily she was at the bookshop when Belle's water broke."

"I can't believe she worked up until she went into labor with twins."

"She's stubborn, what can I say?"

Neal looked over at him with a soft smile when he realized how nervous he was. "You've done this before, Pop. You can do it again."

"I haven't raised a kid in about 12 years. What if I forget how to do everything."

"You? Pop, you've got an elephant's memory. It's going to be okay, I have faith in you."

Wren let out a deep, shaky breath, remaining quiet until they reached the hospital. Once they got to the maternity wing, Neal was prepared to wait in the lobby, but Wren insisted he follow along. Once they got inside Belle's room, they found her screaming as she clutched onto Lacey's hand, clearly going through a contraction. Wren went right to her side and took her other hand, wincing at how hard she squeezed it until the contraction passed. She looked up at him with a weary smile when it was done.

"You made it," she whispered.

"Of course I did." He kissed the top of her head. "I wouldn't miss this for the world."

**12 ½ Years Ago**

Neal rushed down the hallway, his father following slowly behind him. He found David Nolan standing outside the room they had been instructed to go to, looking pale.

"Get kicked out?" Wren asked.

"Emma is not in the best of moods," he said with a slight chuckle. "Gotta love her anyway."

"Does she um," Neal looked between David and Wren. "Does she want me in there?"

"I was told to send you in."

Neal walked inside, surprised at how calm it was upon entering. Mary Margaret looked a little tense, clearly trying to find a way to make her foster daughter as happy as possible. Emma looked the furthest thing from happy, a seeming permanent scowl on her face.

"Hey Em," Neal said, moving closer to her. Their relationship at the moment was strained. They knew that he would be keeping the baby when it was born and she still wished he had agreed on giving it up for adoption. "How are you feeling?"

"I have a baby trying to rip its way through my uterus," she mumbled. "How do you think I feel?"

Neal slightly chuckled, not knowing what else to do. "Can I get you anything?"

"A time machine so we remember the condom."

Mary Margaret rubbed her shoulder. "It'll be over soon, Em. I promise."

"How would you know? You've never had one." When she saw the pain go across her foster mother's face, she frowned. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that…it's just…"

"I know, it's a lot." Mary Margaret kissed the top of her head. "It's okay. I'm not going anywhere."

Neal felt a pang of jealousy hit the bottom of his stomach. Mary Margaret was so sweet to Emma and they weren't even biologically related. He thought about his own mother, what she would think about this whole situation. He hadn't heard from her in 11 years and doubted he ever would again. Mary Margaret and David said they wanted to act as grandparents to this baby no matter what and then there was his own father, so, at least the baby wouldn't lack for love.

"Neal," Emma looked back over at him. "I think…I think I just want it to be Mary Margaret and me."

A part of him wanted to argue, but the other part, the part that reminded him he was only 16 and probably didn't need to see the "miracle of life" quite yet, agreed. He had nearly passed out at the Lamaze class when they showed the birth video to begin with. So, he simply kissed her cheek and headed back out into the hall with the other men.

"She wants me to wait out here," he said. "It's just gonna be her and Mary Margaret."

Wren frowned. "You sure you're okay with that?"

"I don't need to be in there to be a good dad. It's not about that moment…it's the ones that come after it."

David clapped his shoulder. "You're pretty wise for a 16 year old."

**Present Day**

Hours passed and Belle was no closer to delivering the baby than she was before. Neal decided to stick it out and texted Emma, asking her to pick up Henry from school. Lacey had stepped out to call James and update him, so it was just the three of them in the room. Belle was a bit more relaxed and in between contractions, going over final baby name choices with Wren.

"Are you sure you're okay with the character from my book?" Belle asked, a copy of it on her nightstand.

"It's only fair, considering we're naming the girl after one of my aunts."

Neal's head snapped up. "Really? Which one?"

Before Wren could answer, the doctor came back in, looking a little grim.

"From what the nurse told me, you're not progressing very much Belle and it seems that the babies are just getting too big from the steroids we gave you when we feared you'd go into preterm labor," he explained. "So, I'm afraid we're going to have to do a C-Section."

Belle frowned. "But I wanted to avoid one of those if at all possible."

"I know you did. It's just that at this rate, I don't think you'd be able to vaginally deliver the babies."

Belle's lip quivered and Wren wrapped a tight arm around her, assuring her that it was going to be okay. The doctor asked the two men to leave so they could prep Belle, letting Wren know that he could come into the room with them during the operation. Once they were in the hall, Neal put a hand on his father's back.

"It's going to be okay," he promised.

Wren nodded. "You don't have to stay. It could take a while…"

"Nah. I'll keep Lacey company. Make sure that if Moe comes, he doesn't start a ruckus.

He smiled a little. "Why are you doing all this?"

"You were there for me, the night Henry was born."

The memory washed over Wren and his smile only grew.

"One of the best nights of my life," he said. "Even if it was at 2 in the morning."

Neal chuckled. "He always had to do things his own way."

Soon, Wren and Belle headed off to the back, leaving Neal alone with his thoughts. Lacey was still off talking with someone, from the arguing he heard, he assumed it was their father. Belle had wanted Maurice to show up , but it didn't seem like he was going to. Despite Belle marrying a former lawyer and a very successful Yale professor, Maurice was still disappointed in all she did.

He thought of his own father and all of the times he had stood by him. Wren could've kicked him out of the house when Emma got pregnant, but he didn't. He could've disowned him after he ran away. Yet, he didn't. He kept wanting Neal to return, time and time again. Even if his help occasionally came with strings, he loved him and wanted him to be around.

All in all…Neal was pretty lucky.

Lack of sleep mixed in with him working overtime that week, caused him to fall asleep in the chair. He didn't wake up until his father was shaking him awake. He blinked a couple of times and found him in scrubs, a sight which could not be unseen.

"You wanna meet your new brother and sister?"

Neal grinned. "Of course."

Following his father back into the room, he found Belle laying in bed, looking a little dazed. In her arms were two tiny babies, tinier than Henry had been when he was born.

"Neal," she said, smiling lazily. "I'd like you to meet Gideon Edmund and Alba Collette."

"Alba," Neal repeated, looking over at his father. "That aunt."

"I loved Alba and Gretchen equally, but Alba also means dawn. Since Gideon is named after a fictional hero, we figured we'd name our daughter after a real life one."

"They're so tiny."

"Aye."

Wren reached down and pecked Belle's lips, before taking Gideon from her. Neal looked on at the sight, smiling widely. They were going to be good parents, that much he knew.

"Your father was quite brave during the surgery," Belle said as she cradled Alba closer. "Much more than I was."

"It's not about how you were today," Neal replied, almost automatically. "It's about how you are in the moments that come after."

**12 ½ Years Ago**

Neal stood in front of the nursery window, watching as the nurse wheeled the newest baby in. The name card on the front read "Baby Boy Swan-Gold" and it made his heart skip a beat. He was a father. He had a son.

Wren appeared at his side and didn't say anything at first. "He's adorable, son."

"He's perfect," Neal breathed.

"And here all this time you thought it was a girl."

Neal laughed a little. "Well, all the old wives tales said it was."

"As I told you, nothing beats pure science. The male determines the sex and we've got a whole family filled with men."

"I should've listened to you."

"Why don't you go hold him?"

"What if I break him?"

"You won't, I won't let you."

Wren lead his son into the nursery and told the nurse which baby they were looking for, showing the bracelet Neal had been given to confirm it. They were lead over to the plastic basinet where the baby laid inside, wrapped in a typical hospital blanket. He was bigger than Neal had been expecting, chubby, his face all red and squished up. Slowly, he reached down and picked the baby up the way he had been taught at the classes.

His son squirmed in his arms and started fussing a bit, so Neal began rocking him out of instinct. He looked at Wren for help, who just smiled and nodded to let him know he was doing okay.

"Did you and Emma pick out a name?" Wren asked.

Neal shook his head. "Emma said she didn't care what we named him, I think she's been afraid of getting attached."

"From what Mary Margaret said, she already is. Maybe that's a good sign."

"Maybe." He looked back down at his son. "I was thinking Henry."

"Henry. I like that." Wren sounded almost shocked that his son had been able to come up with a classic name. "Where'd that come from?"

"Emma and I watched a lot of Happy Days when we were first dating. Henry Winkler, the Fonz."

Wren's eyes went up to the ceiling, there went all that pride. "Okay then. Is he going to have a middle name?"

A pause. "Wren."

"Huh?"

"His name is Henry Wren Gold."

Wren felt the tears well up in his eyes as he looked down at his son, who was keeping his own on the baby. He pursed his lips together and clasped his hand over his shoulder. Despite everything…his son was naming his own after him.

"I like that." He pressed a kiss to his forehead. "Welcome to the family, Henry."

**28 Years Ago**

Wren was pissed. More than pissed. Milah didn't just call him when his son was born, but she hadn't bothered to call him at all afterwards. He was her husband, despite all their problems…did that not amount to anything? He only knew to come home from his trial early because his aunts had called him when they returned from their own vacations.

He found Milah in the kitchen, fixing a bottle. "You're home," she said.

"Yeah, I'm home." He slammed his briefcase down. "No thanks to you."

"I knew you were busy with the case."

"I would've rushed home to see my son born in time and even if I missed it, to see him at the hospital."

"I didn't need your help. I can handle it on my own."

"This wasn't just about you, Milah." He let out a deep breath. "How is he? Where is he?"

"He's fine. He's in the nursery, napping. The nanny called out sick, so I've been tending to him."

Wren had to bite back a thought that, that's how it should be. He had no protests to a nanny looking after his son when Milah returned to her own practice, but while they were both on leave, he thought they should be the one to tend to him.

"What's his name?" That had been another source of argument throughout the pregnancy.

"Neal." Milah said. "Neal Patrick Gold."

"Neal," Wren repeated, mulling the name over in his head, one he had seen in countless baby name books. "Names have meaning…that means champion. That's just what he shall be."

"He's a baby, Wren. Can we not put pressure on him? He can't even make out our faces yet."

He ignored his wife and headed up the stairs to the nursery, carefully pushing open the door. He walked over to the bassinet and found the baby there, wide awake. Gently, he bent down and picked him up into his arms. Tears fell down his face. No matter what Milah said, no matter how his father treated him…it didn't matter anymore. He had the most precious thing on this planet. Someone he would love and that would love him in return.

"Oh, it's alright, Neal," he whispered. "It's alright. Your papa's here." He kissed his tiny forehead. "And I promise, I will never, ever leave you."


	24. Happy Birthday, Baby

**Steampunk-archer prompted: Henry wants to throw Wren a birthday party... Neal and Emma think this is a bad idea.**

Neal and Emma sat at a table in Sabine's cramped bakery, trying yet another cake she had brought out. They knew it was going to be a challenge telling Granny that Sabine was vying for the job as baker for their wedding. The truth was, they were conflicted. In the end, they'd probably do something to please the both of them. Their small, intimate wedding had turned into the whole town being invited, along with many of Wren, Belle, Mary Margaret and David's friends. It'd be worth it in the end, though, just so they could finally be married.

Henry walked over nibbling on the beignet Sabine had given him, another binder in his hands. "I was looking at this."

Neal studied the cover. "Your birthday's not for another few months, bud."

"No, but Grandpa's is coming up." He settled down at the table. "Why don't we throw him a party?"

Neal exchanged a look with Emma. "I don't know, bud. Your grandpa's never been really big on his birthday. It's why he and Belle got married on it, so he wouldn't feel he had to celebrate anymore."

"Yeah, but this year Grandpa's taking Belle and the kids to Spain for their anniversary, so they're not having a party. So, why shouldn't we throw one for him? It could be fun. Even if it's just the seven of us."

Emma took another bite of the double chocolate fudge cake in front of her. "I'm sure Mary Margaret and David would come too. We could do something small, before they leave for Spain."

"You want to throw my dad a surprise party?" Neal repeated, blinking a couple of times. "Guys, trust me when I say, he hates his birthday. It just brings up bad memories."

"All the more reasons to create good ones," Henry argued. "Come on, Dad. Please. Sabine makes strawberry shortcake, you know that's his favorite."

"Alright, alright. I'll call Belle and I'll see what we can do, but if he hates it…"

"I'll take all the blame, I promise." Henry snagged the fork from his father and took a bite of the cake slice his mom was sampling. "I think this one should be it."

Emma could tell her fiancé's apprehension as they continued to plan the party. Belle thought it was a great idea and was pitching in a bunch of ideas herself, promising to keep it a surprise from Wren in the meantime. Even Mary Margaret and David were helping out. The one thing Emma couldn't tell was why Neal was so against it. His relationship with his father had vastly improved since Belle got pregnant 3 years prior, he could stand to be in the same room with him for longer than a few minutes…what was going on?

"So," Emma said, placing down the party decorations. Henry was insisting they throw him a party like he used to have, complete with cheesy balloons and the like. "You wanna explain to me why you're so hesitant about this party?"

"I told you, Emma. He's not going to like it. He'll pretend for Henry's sake, but I'm telling you, he'll be uncomfortable."

"And you know this because?"

"When I was little, I used to make a really big deal about his birthday, or as much as a kid could." Neal sighed. "He liked it, or so I thought. Then Milah left and he just…wasn't as enthusiastic about it. I don't know, it's like I would try…" He shrugged. "It's what made me pull away a bit. I realized that I was putting in more of an effort. I don't want Henry's feelings to be hurt if he acts the same way."

"Have you tried talking to your dad about all of this?"

"His mom died in childbirth. I figure that's why it's so hard."

"So, now you're assuming?"

By the raised eyebrow, he knew there was no getting out of this one. "Alright, I'll talk to him about it."

The next afternoon, he asked for his dad to meet up with him for coffee. Things were quiet at first as they sorted out their cups. Wren with just a tiny bit of cream, Neal keeping his black and adding in tons of sugar. The older man couldn't help but chuckle a bit as Neal cracked open his fourth packet of sugar.

"You want some coffee for that sugar?

"Haha, very funny." Neal took a swig of the cup. "So…you and Belle leave for Spain…"

"Saturday."

"And you're taking the twins?"

"Yes. They're too young to remember, but you were only 18 months the first time Milah and I took you to France."

"Right, right."

"Is there something else bothering you?"

"You have to act surprised but…Henry's throwing you a surprise birthday party."

Wren paused. "What?"

"I told him it was a bad idea…but he's insistent. It's nothing big, just the family, Mary Margaret, Emma and David."

"Okay." Wren slowly lowered his mug. "And you felt a need to tell me this…"

"I know you hate your birthday."

"I hate my birthday?"

"You never wanted to celebrate it when I was younger. I'd try and you…well…"

Wren shut his eyes, wincing a bit. "Oh…Neal…I…I'm sorry. It's not that I hate my birthday…"

"I get it. Your mom died in childbirth, that can't be easy."

He opened his eyes again. "It's not that. It's what my father made of my birthday, if he was home. The truth was, the years it was just my aunts and I, things were great. They'd make me a cake and we'd sing songs. It was the years that he was home, I'd be reminded of why he and I have such a terrible relationship. When you were younger, Milah had left and I was just feeling rejected…again…alone…so, I took it out on you and that wasn't fair."

"It's not a big deal."

"The truth is, I hate being alone on my birthday. It just reminds me of the times he was there. And I should've realized that just because Milah was gone…it didn't mean I was alone." Wren patted his son's hand. "I'll be fine with the birthday party."

"Sorry I ruined the surprise."

"Eh, I'm not much for them anyway. I'll pretend for the boy." He paused. "There's going to be alcohol there, right?"

"Um, yeah."

"Oh, thank God."


	25. Gone Boy

**Steampunk-archer prompted: Henry wants to throw Wren a birthday party... Neal and Emma think this is a bad idea.**

**Plot: Wren loses it when he realizes that Neal has run away. He doesn't exactly get the best advice on how to proceed.**

Wren stood in front of the mirror, adjusting his tie. It was a practice he had done every day and it made him feel good. Dressing up was the one thing that brought confidence to himself, that made him have pride in his heart. It was something he did, even when he was going somewhere relaxed…like the zoo. Neal had been quite insistent to take Henry there for his birthday, but he had wanted to throw him a party. He had seen how much his son hated it and while he couldn't quite understand, maybe now he could give it a try.

Heading down the hall to Henry's nursery where he assumed the boys would be, he was a bit surprised to find it empty. Shaking it off, he went to Neal's room and knocked on the door. He'd bite his tongue about his son bringing Henry into his room at night. The kid was never going to learn if Neal was a pushover and let him share the bed. When there was no response, he tried knocking a few more times. Finally, he pushed the heavy door open and found it empty as well. The shower wasn't running and there was no Henry in sight. In fact, the room was the cleanest it had been in years.

Panic seeped through Wren's veins as he gripped his cane and went as fast as his ankle would allow. When he reached the bottom, he checked the kitchen and the living room, only tocome up empty. He found the maid, Johanna, starting on breakfast.

"Have you seen Neal or Henry?"

Johana shook her head. "No, sir. I was actually surprised, Henry's stroller wasn't in the foyer like it normally is."

Slowly, Wren walked into the foyer and sure enough, the bulky stroller was missing. A quick check of the coat closet showed that the diaper bag was too.

That's when he see saw it. The letter. Scribbled out on the stationary he had given his son in his Christmas stocking ("You're getting old enough to send out your own thank you cards."), was the hardest letter he had ever received.

Pop,

I don't belong here. I tried so hard to make it work, make this work. I thought we could raise Henry together, but you will always try to control me, control us. I want better for Henry, better for myself. I'll call you when I've gotten settled.

-Neal

Wren felt his knees buckle. He grabbed the cell phone and clicked on Neal's name.

"The number you have dialed is no longer in service."

Luckily, it was summer. He didn't have any classes and he had Johanna send regrets to any parties he had to attend. She'd drop food off in his room, but most of the time, he wouldn't even touch it. He tried calling almost every day, but Neal was smart. He had disconnected his phone from his plan. There was no way of knowing where he was or how to get in contact with him.

His son had slipped through his fingers. The boy he had raised, the boy he loved more than life itself, would rather runaway than live with him. He remembered the good times, before Milah left, before he closed off his heart. Maybe if he had just listened a little more…if he had…

If he had what? Hadn't he done everything for his son? He had been supportive when Emma got pregnant, he was helping him raise Henry. He had grown to love that baby so much and was basically helping raise him. Apparently, that was the last thing Neal wanted.

There was a knock at the door not long after Johanna brought him some lunch. "There's someone here to see you, Mr. Gold."

"Send them away."

"It's your father."

Wren shut his eyes for a few moments. Of course it was him. He had lost track of time, realizing they were long overdue for their yearly visit. Before Wren could say anything further, the door was pushed open and Malcolm walked in, his arms folded over his chest.

"What are you doing in bed, boy? It's past noon."

"Father, can we please reschedule this visit for another time?"

"I don't think so." He looked around the room and shook his head. "What in Heavens name has you falling apart like this?"

Wren tightened the sash on his robe and sat up. "Neal left."

"Excuse me?"

"He's gone. He…took Henry and he ran away. I have a P.I looking for them, but they're gone."

Malcolm scoffed. "Always knew that boy was trouble."

"He's my son, tread carefully."

"And he left you, just like his mother." Malcolm shook his head. "What did I tell you? Love only leads to pain."

"I don't need one of your famous pep talks," Wren seethed.

"No, what you need is a reality check." Malcolm went to the windows and pushed open the drapes. "You need to get your ass out of bed, take a shower and rejoin the land of the living."

"Father…"

"No. Your son was ungrateful and he ran, just like you did to me as soon as you had the chance."

"That's not…"

"Stop interrupting me." Malcolm held up a hand. "You say you have an investigator looking for him, fine. In the meantime, you will not fall apart. A parent's world does not revolve around their child, especially not when you're a Gold man. I am not leaving here until you're dressed and ready to go."

Wren thought back to when he had called his father after Milah left. He wasn't sure why he had, but in that moment, he just felt like he needed him. Malcolm hadn't been at all sympathetic and told him to suck it up and put on a brave face for Neal. There was no sense in being upset, not when there was work to be done. Wren had made a point to not speak to him about anything personal ever again.

Now, he knew there was no way his father was just going to let him continue to wallow in self-pity. He looked in the mirror and studied his face. He hadn't shaved in days, nor had he showered. He had lost his confidence. He had lost his pride.

Swallowing, he stood up and grabbed some clothes. Malcolm nodded. "Good boy, we'll had to the Seaford auction together."

Wren took a shower, shaved and then changed into his suit. He looked into the mirror, adjusting his tie. There was no more time for wallowing.

His son was gone.


	26. History Repeats: Pt 1

**Steampunk-archer prompted: Henry wants to throw Wren a birthday party... Neal and Emma think this is a bad idea.**

**Plot: Wren loses it when he realizes that Neal has run away. He doesn't exactly get the best advice on how to proceed.**

Neal knew something had to be up. His son was a creature of habit. After borrowing money from Wren to go to Yale, he had kept up the Friday night dinners and went to them religiously. Since changing paths for school, he figured he'd see his family more often, but with their schedules and his own, sometimes the dinners were the only times he'd see them all month. They meant the world to him.

So, when he began skipping them around the time of his graduation, Neal was suspicious. Emma tried to assure him that he was just busy with his last finals and trying to wrap things up. He had an internship in New York City that summer, that could very well lead to an actual paying job and there was that to prepare for as well. Still, Neal didn't feel entirely convinced and he was relieved when his father felt the same.

His fears were confirmed when Henry said that they needed to have a family discussion. He immediately began preparing for the worst. His son was sick or he was accepting a job further away, one that would mean he'd see him once or twice a year.

Anything than the actual result.

Maybe he should have saw it coming when Jacinda tagged along. Sure, she and Henry had been dating since the start of their sophomore year of college. They had been friends long before then and Wren had the last laugh over them actually ending up together, years after he tried to arrange it. Neal liked her, she was a sweet girl, a lot like him at the various stages of life. Victoria Belfrey had only gotten worse after her husband's death, being very critical and cold towards her adoptive daughter. Jacinda was good to Henry, she loved him. Really, it was something he'd expect in 10 years-time knowing their plans.

He also expected to be there, but that's jumping the gun.

"Jacinda and I got married."

The words escaped Henry's mouth the moment Emma, Neal, Wren and Belle had settled on the couch. Neal tilted his head, unsure if he had heard him right. Suspiciously, Henry was looking anywhere but him in that moment.

"Excuse me?" Wren asked, nearly choking on his drink.

Henry held up his left hand to reveal a simple gold wedding band, Jacinda doing the same. "We got married, this weekend. We went up to New York City and found this old church…Sabine was the witness."

"I…I wasn't even aware that you two were engaged."

"They weren't," Neal said. "At least…not that we knew of."

"There wasn't really an engagement, we just sort of agreed." Henry looked at his new wife and then back at his family. "We had a reason for doing all of this, I promise."

"If this is so she can be with you during the internship…"

"I'm not taking the internship."

"Whoa, whoa, wait." Emma held up her hand. "What do you mean you're not taking the internship? You worked your ass off all four years of college to get this. You're honestly going to tell me that you two can't last 3 months apart from one another?"

"That's not it, Mom. I had to get a job, one that pays money now. The internship wasn't going to pay me anything."

Belle chimed in at that point. "Your grandfather and I offered to help you out. You said you had savings."

"Yeah, to get me through the summer…not us."

"I am so confused right now."

"I think we all are, darling,' Wren muttered.

"You see…Jacinda and I…we're expecting a baby."

Silence fell over the room and for the first time since the conversation started, Henry was looking straight at his father. Neal's hand clenched around his scotch glass and he felt his mind start to spin. How was this happening? He had worked too damn hard, made so many sacrifices so Henry could have a good life, one without struggle. He had supported him through his journalism degree and even agreed that an internship would be the first big step, since it wasn't like newspapers were handing out jobs left and right these days.

And yet…he had gotten a girl pregnant. He had married her…without even telling him. His son, his firstborn, had gotten married without inviting him to be there. Yes, Wren and Belle had eloped, but that was different. Neal and his father had been estranged at the time. He was closer with Henry than ever, the older his son got, the more like friends they became. He couldn't even be bothered to tell him face to face, alone? Or at least alone with Emma? Before the wedding?

Was this how his father felt every single time he kept something from him?

"A baby," Emma slowly repeated.

"I'm about 3 months along," Jacinda said.

3 months. "So…this is why you've been avoiding family dinners?" Neal asked.

Henry chewed on his lip. "We had to set things up, make sure that we had a plan before Victoria found out. She would've taken away Jacinda's money for rent and it wasn't as if she could move in with me right away, I was still living with Jack. But now, we've created a plan."

"A plan?"

"I've gotten a job, at the Gazette. It's basically the assistant to the editor, it doesn't pay a lot, but we'll get by."

"And I'm putting my master's on hold until the baby's born," Jacinda added. "In the meantime, I'll be working at Ashley Boyd's daycare center, which will cut down on costs there."

"We know it's going to be tough and none of this is what we planned, but we're going to do it." Henry slipped his fingers through Jacinda's. "Together."

There was another beat of silence. Eventually, Belle got up and gave both a hug, congratulating them. Emma followed suit, offering to give Jacinda the baby stuff they had from their last foster placement. Wren instantly started talking about the real estate in Stars Hollow and what they could afford.

As for Neal, he got up and walked out of the room, heading straight onto the balcony. When he heard footsteps behind him, it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out just who it was.

"I know you're mad at me," Henry whispered.

"Not mad."

"Really?"

Neal turned around. "I'm disappointed. You were supposed to make it Henry."

"And I did. I, the son of two high school drop outs, graduated top of my class from Yale." Henry smiled a bit. "That has to count for something. And the assistant thing, it's a start. Maybe I can submit articles and eventually…" He shrugged.

"You got married without me being there." Neal could feel his fists balling up and he had to release them. "What the hell was that about?"

"We just…we didn't want it getting out. Jacinda is scared of Victoria's reaction, we had to make sure that she was completely out of her clutches before she found out."

"You think I'd go around and tell someone? Be a gossip? I thought you knew me better than that."

Henry ducked his head. "I knew you well enough to know you'd tell me to take the internship."

"Damn right I would. Henry, you could do it for the summer, come back before the baby was born…"

"And then what, Dad? Make Jacinda work while I'm off on an unpaid internship…"

"That could open so many doors for you!"

"I want to do right by my family! Isn't that what you taught me?!"

"I taught you to use your head and not get yourself into situations like this!"

Henry threw his hands in the hair. "Well you know what? Shit happens! We didn't plan on any of this but we're just trying to do the best we can, just like you did when you found out Mom was pregnant. You chose your own path, you left on your own…"

"Because my father and I had a shit relationship! I thought ours was stronger than that. I thought that if you were in this kind of situation, you'd tell me!"

"Well, maybe I knew you wouldn't agree with how I was handling it!"

"Damn right I don't."

"It's my life and my choice, I have to do what's right for my wife and kid! And if you don't approve of that, then you can go to hell!"

Henry stormed back into the house and Neal could hear him give his regrets to his grandparents for leaving before dinner. Neal waited for his son to come back, for them to make up. All too soon, however, he could hear his son's motorcycle pulling out of the driveway. Swallowing, Neal looked up at the night sky, trying to ignore the tears that clouded his vision. It wasn't until he felt a hand on his shoulder, that he looked down and saw his father.

"I think it's time we break out the really good scotch I've been saving and have ourselves a little talk."


	27. History Repeats Pt 2

Neal followed his father into his study, knowing he should probably go talk with Emma first but his mind was just spinning too fast. Settling into the big leather chair, he watched as his father busied himself around the room, grabbing some scotch from the cabinet near his desk and retrieving two glasses. He poured it out and gently nudged it his son's way. Neal instantly downed the drink, making a face at just how strong it was.

"Careful there, son," Wren said. "I'd rather you not be blasted when we have this talk."

"My son got a girl pregnant and got married behind my back. I need to be a little buzzed."

"No, what you need is a reality check."

"Excuse me?"

Wren sighed. "I know this hurts, Neal. Henry didn't handle this exactly right. He shouldn't have run off and gotten married without telling you first. One of my deepest regrets in life is not having you both there when I married Belle."

"Pop…"

"No, it's the truth. However, I do think you're overreacting on the whole job thing."

"Oh, so you think it was smart of him to dump the internship to take an assistant position?"

"It's not a move I would've advised, no." Wren tilted his head. "However, it wasn't my move to make, nor was it yours. It's Henry's."

"He's making a mistake. This internship could open so many doors for him."

"Doors that we know are still open, how? He has a family to support now."

"I could help him…"

"I seem to remember you not wanting any of my help way back when. I offered to pay for your college education, make sure you got a great job. It wasn't the one you wanted, though."

"Are you saying Henry doesn't want to be a journalist anymore?"

"No, I believe he still does. However, I think he's going to go about it in his own way. The way that is best for his family. You have to admit, that him working this summer and making money will be more beneficial to Jacinda and the baby, then an unpaid internship will."

Neal fell silent, unsure of how to respond to that. The truth was, if he was in Henry's shoes…he probably would've chosen the same thing. It'd make more sense and financially would be more helpful. Jacinda shouldn't have to be the sole breadwinner. Henry could always get another internship down the line and who knew, maybe the Gazette could open some doors for him.

"This just isn't the life I wanted for him."

"And did you plan on getting Emma pregnant when you weren't even 16?"

Neal's eyebrows nearly shot off his head. "Hell no."

"Then I doubt that Henry intended to become a father straight out of graduating from an ivy league school." Wren sat in front of his son. "I think deep down this isn't just about his future. You know he'll be okay, you ended up okay. You own Granny's now, it's your inn. And you did that with no college degree at first. What's this really all about?" Wren studied his son's face as it fell further. "Talk to me."

"He shut me out of it, completely," Neal whispered. "We…we didn't even talk about it. He just…found out she was pregnant and handled it on his own."

"He is 22."

"But I'm his father." He looked up into his own father's eyes. "We're close, a lot closer than you and I were back then and I just…he always comes to me. With everything. Even if he doesn't take my advice, he wants to hear what I think. He wants me to be there for the big moments. He…he's my son, Pop and I missed his wedding. I found out I was a grandfather like this…I mean…it hurts."

"I know it does. I remember when I realized you had stopped telling me things. It's hard. No parent likes to think that their child doesn't need them anymore."

Neal wiped at his eye, feeling stupid for crying even though he knew it was okay to. He twirled the empty glass in his hand, reflecting on his relationship with Wren.

"I'm sorry, Pop," he whispered. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you I was leaving that night…and for shutting you out for so long."

"Hey, no one was perfect in our situation." Wren put a hand on his knee. "We both made mistakes and there's a lot we could've done differently. What I do know is, your relationship with Henry is a lot different than ours was when you were his age. You can work it out, before your own grandkid is 10 years old."

Neal groaned, tilting his head back. "I'm going to be a grandfather. Jesus Christ, I'm too young."

"I'm going to be a great-grandfather, how do you think I feel?"

That got Neal to start laughing and he put his hand over his father's, as both cracked up, thinking about how different their lives were about to become.

*x*

Neal walked into the Stars Hollow Gazette office a week later. He had tried to call Henry after giving him a few days to cool off, but he was avoiding his calls. After doing some prying, he figured out where he was living and had stopped by there. He hadn't been home, but Jacinda was. She seemed nervous, but relaxed when Neal said he wasn't angry, he just wanted to see where his son was living. It wasn't exactly the New York loft Neal had pictured for his son, but it was better than his own first place. It had two bedrooms and a separate bathroom. They had started decorating it and it was…nice. Jacinda let him know that Henry was at work and that he had seemed miserable ever since their argument.

"Neal." He looked up to find August Booth walking towards him, a grin on his face. August had taken over the Gazette a few years ago. He was a newcomer to town, an old foster brother of Emma's who had heard about the bizarre place and thought it'd make a good story. Eventually, he fell in love with someone and decided to stay. He worked at the paper as a field reporter before becoming editor when the old one retired. "Didn't take you as a newsy type."

"Oh you know, like to stay educated." He shook hands with him.

"Hey, hope you're not mad at me hiring your son without talking to you about it first, he asked me to keep it quiet." He shrugged. "I get the whole not wanting to disappoint your dad thing."

"It's fine…is he here?"

"He's out getting my coffee, but he should be back in a minute. Say, you want a drink?"

"No, I'm good."

The door opened and Henry walked in, a bag from Granny's Diner one hand, a tray of coffees in the other. He handed out the orders before making it to August, not noticing his dad at first.

"Black, I think Ruby managed to make it extra black actually."

August laughed. "You're the best. By the way, you have a visitor."

Henry looked up and did a double take, clearly not expecting that. There was a moment of silence before his boss interrupted.

"Hey, you guys wanna step into my office and talk? I have to call Tink, make sure we're still on for dinner tonight."

"Um, thanks, August," Henry mumbled, he lead his father into the office, shutting the door. "What are you doing here?"

"You weren't answering my calls."

"I didn't want to yell anymore."

"I'm not going to yell." He sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "Look, I don't think that you skipping out on the internship was a smart move…"

"Dad…"

"As a professional. As a dad who quit school to better provide for his son, I do get it and I respect it."

Henry frowned. "Really?"

"Yeah. I don't think it was ever really about the whole job thing. The truth is, I think you'll do well here. In a few years time, maybe you'll be writing articles for this paper or another one, I'm sure August will give you a glowing recommendation."

"Then…what's the problem?"

"You kept all this from me, kid. I know we're closer than that and I'm just…I'm confused. You know I wouldn't have told anyone you didn't want me to. So, why keep it a secret?"

Henry chewed on his lip, looking away. Neal stepped forward and tipped his chin up, just like he did when he was younger and trying to hide something.

"You know you can tell me anything."

"I knew you'd be disappointed," Henry whispered. "You worked so damn hard to make sure I had this amazing life and I did…and now…I go and get a girl pregnant right out of college. This isn't what you wanted for me."

"No, but I would've been supportive. And I would've liked to be there for your wedding."

"I wanted you there. Mom, too. It didn't feel right with just the two of us. I guess I just convinced myself that I needed to do it alone…to prove to you that I could do it. That I'd be okay."

"I know you're going to be okay, because you're Henry. You're the guy that looks out for the underdog, you care about others so deeply. I know you'll make an amazing husband and father."

Henry's frown barely peaked up into a smile. "Well, I did learn from the best."

Neal blinked a couple of times. "Bud, please do not make me cry."

"I'm sorry…for how I acted and for shutting you out. It was wrong."

"I'm sorry too. Whatever choices you make, even if they're ones I wouldn't make myself, I support you, one hundred percent. Just…clue me in."

"I will, I promise." Another pause. "I love you, Dad."

"I love you too, bud."

Neal pulled his son into a hug, kissing the side of his head.

"I can't wait for you to meet your grandson," Henry mumbled.

"Who knows, it could be a girl."

"Nah." Henry pulled away. "Every Gold man's firstborn is a boy."

"Well, you are a Cassidy now."

"Still, doubt that'll suddenly change."

"We'll see about that."


	28. Father's Day

**I promised queen-of-the-merry-men I'd do a one shot focusing around Neal's first Father's Day with Henry and Wren. Just some Gold family fluff.**

It had been a few years since Wren had celebrated a proper Father's Day. Sure, Neal would give him a card or some sort of gift, but he had given up trying to celebrate with his dad awhile ago. Honestly, Wren couldn't blame him. Normally, he was too busy with work and it was just another day. It wasn't like growing up he had ever done anything special for his own dad.

Things were different now, however. It was Neal's first Father's Day. Henry was 10 months old, getting bigger by the day and Neal had been through so much. Despite their parenting differences, he really was doing a good job. So, he had a few ideas on how to make the day fun for him.

First of all, he let him sleep in. He headed into Henry's room upon hearing him babbling through the monitor he kept in his room. The baby was holding himself up in the crib with his chubby fists. His face broke out into a huge grin and he instantly held out his hands for his grandfather. Wren smiled and leaned down, picking him up. Henry instantly started feeling around his face, tugging on his hair.

"No, no, we don't do that to Papa," Wren said, gently getting out of his grip.

"Dada," Henry babbled.

"Dada's sleeping, he doesn't get a whole lot of that these days, now does he?" Wren cooed, bouncing him a bit. "No, he doesn't. So, let's get you changed."

After getting Henry for the day, he took him downstairs and got him settled with some food. The baby was going through an independent stage, wanting to feed himself for the most part…which usually lead to a big mess. Either way, it kept him occupied while his grandfather cooked. As Wren busied around the kitchen, he nearly tripped over a few toys, he had forgotten how cluttered the house could get. Since it was the weekend, the housekeeper was off and Neal was supposed to be cleaning up, but he'd cut him a break.

An hour later and Neal still wasn't up, which wasn't like him at all. Henry had finished his breakfast and was clearly getting bored of just playing with his toys. He kept crawling over to his grandfather and tugging on his pant leg, trying to speak but it only came out as babble.

"Where is Dada?" Wren asked, lifting him back into his arms. "His breakfast is getting cold."

The door opened and shut, Neal appearing in the kitchen a few moments later. He had actually cut his hair and was holding a tray with two cups of coffee.

"Where'd you go?"

Neal shrugged. "It's Father's Day…figured I'd do something nice for you." He set the tray down on the counter.

Wren gently smiled. "Well…I appreciate it."

"You didn't have to get him ready."

"Like you said, it's Father's Day. You're a dad now."

"Dada!" Henry squealed, reaching out for him.

Neal grinned and took his son from his dad, cuddling him close and pressing a kiss to the top of his head. He started asking his son questions about his morning so far and what he had eaten (despite it still being sort of obvious on his overalls). While he was distracted, Wren grabbed a giftbag from under the sink and held it out towards him. Neal frowned out of shock and then reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out a card.

"You didn't have to get me anything, Pop."

"It's nothing, really. Just sort of a tradition…my aunts did it with you for me on my first Father's Day."

Neal adjusted Henry so he was on his hip and pulled out the tissue paper. He pulled out the dried clay circle, his frown turning to a smile when he saw his son's tiny handprints there. It read "Happy Father's Day" under it with the year along with a heart. Neal looked up at his father with tears in his eyes.

"This is…this is really sweet, Pop. Thanks."

"You're welcome."

"Not just for this…but um, for everything. Not sure how I would've gotten through this without you."

Wren blinked a couple of times. "Let's eat our breakfast and then we can go for a walk or something."

"I'd like that."

It was a truce that'd only last for a day…but it was a nice truce nonetheless.


	29. Times Three

**This started off as a silly plot twist submitted to me by queen-of-the-merry-men, now it's canon and wow.**

Henry held onto Jacinda's hand as the technician started up the ultrasound. It was the first time they were going to see their baby and they couldn't be more excited. They knew it wouldn't be much, but it was the first picture of their child.

"Is this your first child?" The technician asked.

Jacinda nodded. "Do you think we'll be able to hear the heartbeat?"

"You're about 8 weeks along, so it's possible."

The tech rolled the wand across her stomach, causing a small chill to run down her spine. Henry chuckled a bit and kissed her hand, trying to get a look at the screen. Suddenly, however, the tech was blocking it and making odd noises with her lips. She tilted her head to the side and Henry could see the frown.

"Is there something wrong?"

"I um, I can't say anything, only the doctor can."

Henry's heart skipped a beat. "There's something wrong with the baby."

Jacinda sat up quickly, fear filling her face. "Is there…is there no heartbeat."

"There's a heartbeat alright. It's just, um…let me go get the doctor."

She walked out of the room and Henry clung tighter to his wife's hand. The doctor walked back in a moment later with the technician, who showed him the screen. He consulted it for a few moments and then turned back to the frightened, young couple.

"Mr. and Mrs. Mills, according to this ultrasound, you two are having triplets."

Henry snorted. "Yeah, right."

The doctor showed them the screen and started pointing out the sacs. "See, one, two…and three."

Henry felt Jacinda's grip tighten on his own and he felt faint, stumbling backwards a bit. Jacinda wasn't looking any better than he did. When they had walked into the appointment that day, all they wanted was to hear their baby's heartbeat…not find out there were going to be three!

"How did this happen?" Jacinda whispered. "I mean…we weren't using fertility drugs or anything."

"It's rare without assistance, but it can happen," the doctor explained. "This pregnancy is going to be high risk, but you do have some options. We could do selective reduction, which would mean aborting one or two of the babies…"

"Absolutely not." Her mouth formed a thin line. "This may not have been planned, but I'm not doing anything to these babies."

"I agree," Henry whispered, though his head was still spinning. There was only one person he needed to talk to in this situation to help him through it and he needed to do it soon.

After dropping Jacinda off at work (she insisted, said it'd help take her mind off things), Henry drove over to his parents' house. He didn't bother knocking, he just used his key and made his way into the kitchen.

"Hey, so this whole…adult thing. It's been great, but I just can't anymore."

Neal looked up from his sandwich, a chuckle escaping from his lips. "What are you talking about?"

"We're having triplets."

"Yeah, right."

"I'm serious."

He handed over a copy of the ultrasound and Emma peaked over his husband's shoulder, her mouth dropping open. The couple looked from the picture to back up at their son.

"Holy shit," she mumbled.

"How are we going to do this?" Henry moaned, dropping down in a chair. "One baby was going to be a challenge enough, but three?"

"That's a whole lot of diapers."

"Thanks, Mom. You're really helping."

"I'm sorry, kid." She rubbed his back. "How is Jacinda feeling?"

"She's as freaked out as I am. The only thing she's said is that she wants to carry on with the pregnancy, I thought she was going to rip the doctor's head off for suggesting we abort one or two of the babies."

"I don't blame her. I had a pretty similar reaction when my doctor told me I could do that when I found out I was pregnant with you."

Henry sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "I want these babies, I do. I'm just not sure how I'm going to handle it."

"One day at a time," Neal said. "You're going to be fine."

"Do you really believe that?" Emma asked.

"No, he's screwed."

"Dad!" Henry whined.

"Sorry, kid," Neal chuckled. "You're not screwed. Look at your grandpa and Belle. They handled the twins just fine."

"Twins are different, we're going to be completely outnumbered."

"As if you're going to be alone. You know you have us, Pop and Belle. Plus your siblings, Alba and Gideon will be more than happy to pitch in."

Henry let out a deep breath. "I guess that's true."

"I know this is scary, but this is the hand life has dealt you. All you have to do is go through it, one day at a time. After the first year, you'll wonder how the hell you survived, but you will."

"Really?"

"I was 16 years old when I became a single dad. Sure, it was to one kid, but there might as well have been 3 of you."

"Oh great, so I'll feel like I have 9."

"Probably, but it'll be worth it. When they give you that first smile or when they tell you that they love you."

"You had a pretty good role model too," Emma pointed out, wrapping an arm around her husband's shoulders, ignoring his slight blush. "What? He did."

"Mom's right," Henry said. "If you could do it, so can I."

"And like we've said, you won't be alone," Neal added. "We'll be here to help you, every step of the way."

"Promise?"

"What else are grandparents for?"


	30. Light

** queen-of-the-merry-men wanted to see something with postpartum depression and "When I left this morning, I knew that I was coming back but I was only coming back because I had to, not because I wanted to... I want to want to so badly."**

**Trigger warning: Postpartum depression & dark thoughts**

The triplets came two months early, which was to be expected but it was still pretty scary. Henry stood by his wife's side and kept his eyes on her the entire time, until they got the babies out of course.

He listened to the first call out from the doctor "It's a boy!" His heart fluttered and he squeezed Jacinda's hand, beaming proudly. He watched as his son was set to the side to be cleaned up and evaluated by a nurse. It wasn't long after that, that he could hear the doctor speaking again.

"It's a girl!"

Henry's mouth dropped open and he looked at his wife. "A girl," he whispered. "We have a little girl!"

"I was actually starting to believe you about them all being boys," Jacinda muttered beneath her oxygen mask, but a small smile was on her face nonetheless, tears already falling from their son.

Henry made sure that his first two children were okay, watching them be wheeled out. He wished that he could follow them, that they could get to hold them, but when they had gone into the hospital that day, they knew what they were getting into. The babies would have to be in the NICU, at least a little bit. At the last appointment the day before, they were nowhere near ready to be on their own, but all they could do was pray they'd all be stable.

"And we have another baby girl," the doctor announced as he handed the last baby off to a nurse.

The next few hours were a blur, of Jacinda being sewn back up and drifting off to sleep, Henry getting to barely peak at his babies in the NICU so he could take pictures and show them to her when he woke up. He texted his parents and grandparents, all promising to come down to the hospital as soon as they could.

They had three children. For months they knew it was happening, but it was finally real. Three children, three babies. One son and two daughters.

Oh God, how he had not been expecting daughters. Yet, the moment he laid his eyes on them, he fell head over heels in love.

The next day, Jacinda got to see them and she cried just as much as he had, if not more. They were finally parents and even if they couldn't hold them yet, they felt such an overwhelming love in their heart, as if they couldn't picture life without them.

("That's exactly how I felt the moment I first saw you," Neal told Henry later when he admitted that.)

Naming their son was easy, they had tossed around so many boy names throughout the months and only one had really stuck: Mathias Neal Cassidy. They had debated naming their son after Marcus, but in the end went with Jacinda's grandfather, the man that had helped her and her mother before Marcus came in the picture. Neal himself practically broke down when he learned that his grandson was named after him.

The girls were a bit harder. Henry really liked the name Lucy but it didn't seem like a full name to Jacinda. She debated and mulled over it several times, until she found a name in one of the books Belle dropped off that she absolutely loved: Lucia. It meant Graceful Light and Lucy would be a great nickname. So, their baby B finally had a name: Lucia Isobel Cassidy.

The final baby took a few more days, even longer than Jacinda was in the hospital. She was clearly different from her siblings, even starting out. She was the smallest of the bunch and yet clearly was ready for a fight. She surpassed the doctor's expectations and was growing faster than her siblings. Henry found a name first and wasn't sure how Jacinda would feel about it, but as soon as she heard it, she fell in love. It meant "battle ready" which seemed to be the theme for their little girl.

"Xiomara," she whispered when she finally got to hold her youngest daughter. "Xiomara Celia Cassidy."

The triplets were able to come home all at once when they were 8 weeks old. It was only then that Jacinda realized as much as she loved her babies…she didn't want to be there. She would lay in bed, hearing them shriek for her and feel an unexplained pain in her soul. She didn't want to get up, she couldn't even imagine facing daylight.

Henry was there as much as he could be, but he had to work and some days, it was just her and the three babies who seemed to take turns screaming and crying. Jacinda thought maybe if she got them on some sort of schedule, it'd be okay, but nothing seemed to work.

By the time they were 4 months old, she felt as though she was drowning with no life vest. She took every opportunity she could to not be home, which wasn't very often. There was no doubt that she loved her children and that she felt a deep connection to them…she just…couldn't do it. At least not in the way she was supposed to.

The women at her multiples support group said it was normal and that it would pass, but she didn't feel that way. She felt terrible. She'd see other mothers out there that had younger babies and were more put together than she was. Some days, all she wanted to do was get in her car and drive off the coast.

So, one morning she told Henry she was going to the store and she just…didn't come back. She got in her car with every intention of just going to grab the food, but once she loaded all the groceries back in her car, she realized she had to go back home. To her house where she had three tiny babies screaming for her and hanging off her boob, an overworked and exhausted husband and the endless amount of diapers and laundry that she could never escape.

She didn't go home, she went to the park. Henry called her after a few hours, but she just turned off her phone after a while. She sat under a tree and stared into space. Her entire body ached and she just wanted it all to stop. She wanted her kids to stop needing her and that made her feel terrible. What kind of mother didn't want their children to need them? Wasn't she supposed to long for these days?

Oh God, when had she turned into Victoria? Marcus had married Celia loving and accepting her. After she died, he had adopted her and raised her as his own. Once Victoria came along, she did the same even though it was clear it was the last thing she wanted. She seemed so uninterested in her and her older daughter Ivy from her first marriage. All her love and support went to Anastasia, the "perfect child" she had with Marcus. Jacinda had always sworn she'd be the exact opposite.

It took a few hours before a familiar light blue Prius pulled up alongside the park. A few moments later, Belle was kneeling down beside her, rubbing her arm.

"Hey sweetie," she whispered.

"Henry send you?"

"He called us, worried. You never came back this morning, I think he…he thought the worst."

"I know, I know. It was stupid. After all he went through with Emma…I shouldn't have done that."

"So, why did you?"

Jacinda was quiet for a moment. "I love my kids so much," she whispered. "I'm so sorry they have me as a mother."

"You're a great mother."

"No, I'm not. I can't do it. When I left this morning, I knew that I was coming back but I was only coming back because I had to, not because I wanted to... I want to want to so badly."

"Oh sweetheart," Belle whispered, tucking a stray hair behind her ear and looking down at her with so much love. It was a maternal love, something Jacinda hadn't felt since Celia died. "You've got three kids, that's a lot on anyone. You just need some help."

"That's humiliating. Other moms have kids, they don't need help."

"That's not true. When Alba and Gideon were little, I was besides myself."

Jacinda looked up at her, sniffling. "Really?"

"I used to use their naptimes to cry."

Tears spilled down her face. "Why does no one talk about this stuff?"

"Oh."

Belle wrapped her arms around her, allowing her to sob into her shirt.

"No one likes to admit that they can't handle the pressure. It just seems easier to keep it all in."

"We shouldn't."

"It helps to talk about it, huh?"

Jacinda let out a shallow breath. "Yeah…it does."

"You know, I have a friend who suffered from postpartum depression after she had her babies. She saw a therapist and it really, really helped her."

"Henry's going to think I'm a terrible mother."

Belle shook her head. "No, he won't. The first time I had a breakdown after the twins were born, I swore Wren would think I was crazy. Instead, he hugged me and said he got it. He went through the same thing when Neal was a baby and Neal went through it with Henry. I guarantee you, even if it's not depression, he'll get it on some level. You both are taking care of these babies, you're not in it alone."

Jacinda wasn't sure if she believed her, but she wanted to more than anything. They stayed like that for a while, Belle gently rocking her and stroking her hair as she sobbed. Finally, she followed her back to the house she shared with Henry and found him feeding Lucy a bottle.

He looked up at her and for a moment, he seemed angry…until he saw her face. Belle quietly took the baby from him and the two went into the kitchen, where she confessed everything. To her surprise, he took her into his arms and told her that he'd do whatever she needed.

It started with her seeing Archie once a week and she joined a new support group, one for moms that suffered from postpartum depression. It was a slow process and definitely not an easy one, but she wasn't alone. She had Henry, she had Belle and the rest of their family. There was finally a light at the end of the tunnel, even if it didn't seem so bright at the moment.


	31. House Hunters

** queen-of-the-merry-men said she could picture Wren giving Glass Believer his childhood home, but I pointed out I wasn't sure they would accept it. Which lead to us both agreeing to what Belle would probably do...a bit of a lighter prompt given the heaviness of the last few.**

Jacinda could've done without the long car ride in her 5th month of pregnancy, but Wren had been so excited when he dropped down to visit. He insisted that it wasn't far from his own place, but that was already a half hour drive with no traffic and that Sunday, so many travelers were heading home after their long weekend of visiting Connecticut for their foliage. Henry sat beside her, his fingers intertwined with hers, trying to take her mind off the nausea and how huge she felt with games he had played with his own father when they were heading up to visit Wren when he was a kid.

Eventually, they pulled up to a house that wasn't quite as big as Wren and Belle's, but it was still just as grand. Henry helped his wife out of the car and followed his grandfather and Belle inside.

"This is where I grew up," Wren explained. "Well, after my father and I moved to America."

"Oh."

Henry softly smiled, knowing that Wren's upbringing was a sore subject for him. He hadn't seen Malcolm since that one visit when he was 10 years old. A few years prior, they all got word that Malcolm had died and while they all attended the service, it wasn't something that was discussed. He had longed to know more about Wren's childhood, but Neal told him it was best to keep that door closed. While Wren had just been not very accepting of Neal's dreams and good naturedly pushed him in the direction he felt was best, Malcolm was anything but an understanding man.

"It's beautiful," Jacinda murmured, running her fingers across the piano that was in the foyer.

"Four bedrooms, three baths," Wren explained. "It's in a very good school district, closer to Arendelle than my own place was."

"Are you guys thinking of moving?" Henry asked, knowing Alba and Gideon attended his old prep school.

"Not exactly." Wren looked over at Belle, who gave him a reassuring smile, so he looked back over at Henry and Jacinda. "My father didn't leave me much when he died, but he did leave me this house. It needed some major repairs since he left it abandoned for so long and afterwards I was going to resell it, but then I got a better idea…why not give it to my grandson and his wife, who need a bigger place to live?"

Henry's mouth dropped open and he glanced over at Jacinda's, who's hand was hovering over the piano yet again. They had been doing all they could to prepare their tiny apartment for the triplets, but it wasn't easy the slightest. Even if they took the living room, the bedroom wasn't going to be big enough for three cribs when the time came.

Still…they couldn't accept this house…could they?

"Grandpa…that's very generous," Henry started, slowly. "But we can't accept it."

"Why not?" Wren took a step closer to him. "I don't have a lot of good memories here but I thought it would be nice if a happy family could live here at least for a little while. Maybe I could finally see it as a home."

Henry wasn't sure what he was supposed to say in response to that. His grandfather wanted to give them a house, a very, very nice house. The triplets would be able to have their own rooms when they got older, there'd be more space for all of them.

And yet…something inside of him screamed that it was a terrible idea.

Wren clearly wasn't going to take no for an answer, so Henry and Jacinda asked if they could think about it. That night, they went home and made a pro and con list.

"Pro, there's enough room," Jacinda said.

"Con, my grandfather is giving us a house. That's a really inappropriate baby gift."

"Pro, close to a great school."

"Con…are we going to be able to afford that school when the time comes?"

Jacinda sighed. "Another con…a half hour away from our jobs, without traffic."

"Pro…we'd be closer to Wren and Belle, so maybe they could help with childcare?"

"We can't ask them to do that. The twins are pre-teens, I'm sure they can see the light of being kid-free. Plus, we'd be further away from my parents, who we know have the time."

"You're right, you're right. I just saw how much this meant to him. That house brings up so many bad memories, he wanted to see a real family live there."

"I don't know if that would really help fix things, though. I mean, it'd be nice to see an actual family live in the house I grew up in…but it won't change the past."

Henry bit his lip. "It was nice to consider that we would actually be out of this crappy place, even for a minute."

"We'll get there, eventually. Even if it's just one of the two bedrooms upstairs." She leaned her head on his shoulder, slowly rubbing her swollen middle.

"I'm sorry I can't buy you the world, babe."

"I don't need that, I just need you."

He smiled and pecked her lips. "I feel the same."

A few days later, Henry and Jacinda headed back up to Greenwich to talk with Wren and Belle. Their nervousness must have showed, because Wren spoke up before either of them could.

"You're saying no," he said.

"Grandpa, we're grateful for all of this, we really are," Henry sighed. "It's just…it's too big of a thing to accept. Not to mention, we can't exactly leave Stars Hollow. It's where our lives are, our jobs. It'd just be hard to move all of that."

"We really, really do appreciate the offer though," Jacinda insisted. "It was so incredibly generous."

Wren nodded, though much to their surprise, he smiled a bit. "Well, Belle was right."

Belle giggled when Henry and Jacinda looked at her confused. "I told Wren from the start that you two would turn down the house. A nice offer, but I could've predicted what you'd say. Which is why I came up with Plan B."

She placed a listing down on the table for a house just outside of Main Street in Stars Hollow. Jacinda often passed it on her walks with her prenatal group. It wasn't too big or too small, just the right size. She often dreamed about living there, but knew that there was no way they could afford it.

"Three bedrooms, two baths," Belle explained. "It's right near your jobs and if the kids did go to Arendelle someday, right near the bus stop Henry used to take."

"We've looked at this place," Jacinda said. "We just can't afford it."

"Which is why I bought it." She cut the two off before they could argue. "I know that you'll say a house is too big of a present, which is why it's not a gift…not really. You'll pay rent to me, based on what you can afford."

"But that's not fair, we won't be able to pay you for what it's worth."

"For now, but in time, you might be. And who knows, maybe one day you'll be able to buy it back from me."

"Take it, you two," Wren said. "You can't raise three babies in that tiny apartment, not without going insane at least."

"I also remember going through a nesting period when I was about as far along as you, Jacinda. Wouldn't it be nice to create a nursery?"

Jacinda let out a deep breath, squeezing Henry's hand. Both of them knew that maybe they should decline the offer, but they couldn't. This was the perfect compromise: they'd still be paying their own way, yet they could escape the tiny apartment. They were going to have their first house together.

"We can't begin to thank the two of you," Henry said as he gave Belle a hug, then his grandfather.

Wren squeezed his shoulder. "We know you two will be great parents, no matter what. This will just help a little."


	32. Jail Bird

** queen-of-the-merry-men prompted one of the triplets getting arrested in their teens and calling Neal or Wren to bail them out.**

Wren had been called to jails many times as a lawyer to either talk to clients or to bail them out. It had been a good 39 years, but he remembered it quite well. The calls would come at various times throughout the day or night, it'd typically be them or their spouse, begging them to help out.

This time, however, it was a cop on the other end of the line. They informed him that they had his daughter and that she needed to be picked up. That confused him beyond belief. Alba was a good girl, she never got into any trouble. Besides, she was constantly worried about disappointing her parents, Regardless, he carefully climbed out of bed and changed, heading downstairs and taking his car to the police station.

Walking inside, the officer did a double take. "You're her father?"

Wren rolled his eyes, he got that quite often. The older he got, the more people assumed that he was Gideon or Alba's grandfather rather than their father. "Yes. Where is she? What kind of trouble is she in? What did she even do?"

"She was arrested at a protest," he explained. "We only did it because she refused to leave. Since she's so young, the owners of the store aren't going to press charges."

That only further confused Wren. Had his daughter lied about her age? He had always warned his kids about getting into trouble later in life, cops loved to make examples out of people and he hadn't practiced law in nearly four decades, there was no way that he could get them out of it. Before he could ask anything else, the officer disappeared and he could hear him talking to someone. A few moments later he returned…

With Xiomara.

Suddenly, things were starting to add up. She had lied to them and said that he was her father, which of course would lead to some confusion. She was also only 14 years old, which would explain letting her off easy. Though, Wren knew that Jacinda had taught her kids better. They were Hispanic, they had to be careful when dealing with the police. There were so many horror stories of racist cops, especially in the white suburbia of Connecticut. She would ring her daughter's neck for actually doing something to get in trouble and put her life at risk of being made an example of.

However, on some level, it made sense. He didn't have a favorite great-grandchild, he loved them all equally. Yet, there was something about his bond with Xo. When she was little, Mat and Lucy would fall asleep to fairytales while she preferred his legal briefings. She was obsessed with criminal justice and planned on going to Yale, just like her father and great-grandfather to get her law degree. She had his sense of humor (and sarcasm), which lead to her getting in lots of trouble…clearly.

"Hey, Pop," she said, with a tiny wave.

He fixed her when a look when she gave him a cunning smile, the same one her father tried to use a lot, just as his own had before him. He signed the paperwork and lead Xiomara out of the jail, over to his car. They didn't talk until they were far on the road.

"So…I'm your father now?"

"I didn't want to wake Mom and Dad."

"Because you know your mother would kill you."

"You're so much nicer than her."

Wren snorted. If only Neal could hear those words. "Right, as if I won't be telling them what you were up to."

"I haven't even told you what I was doing."

"I know you were protesting, at…" He checked his clock. "3 in the morning. Wanna explain why I'm not getting my beauty sleep?"

"You're gonna need a lot more than sleep…"

"Xiomara Celia Cassidy…"

"Alright, alright." She rolled her eyes. "There's a bakery in town that refused to bake a cake for a gay couple. were holding a peaceful protest."

"Where exactly was this protest?"

"Inside the shop."

"Was it open?"

"Does it matter?"

Wren groaned. "You do realize that you could've gone to juvie, don't you?"

"We wanted to see the look on their faces when they showed up and we were all there."

He shook his head. "I get the appeal, I do. I also know that you want to go to law school one day so you can fight these injustices. You're not going to be able to do that with a record."

"Yale frowns upon prison, huh?"

"Just a bit."

She blew a strand of hair out of her face and zipped up her sweatshirt some more, clearly out of anything clever to say.

"Where do your parents think you are?"

"…At your house."

"Great, you made me an accessory to your crime."

"It was the only believable lie. They'd have checked with any of my friends."

"How about you don't lie to your parents?"

"Are you going to tell them?"

"What do you think?"

"That you're the world's coolest great-grandpa and I clearly learned my lesson by getting arrested. I mean, what's more harsh than being put in the back of a police car? That tops any punishment they could dole out."

"Xiomara, my darling, one day you are going to make an amazing lawyer," Wren said, pulling back into his driveway. "You are going to win every case that comes your way."

"And tonight?"

"I am not a fair judge." He saw her eyes go out the window. "However, since you did tell your parents you were staying here, I'll let you crash here for the night. Best only one member of the Gold-Cassidy family is forced out of bed at an unreasonable hour."

She beamed and they got out of the car together, allowing him to get a good look at her for the first time. She was wearing the skirt that went with her school uniform…and the sweatshirt also had the logo. He tilted his head towards the sky.

"Do we need to go over not wearing your school uniform to a protest so you don't get kicked out of the private school your parents bust their asses to send you to?"

"You keep saying how late it is."

He unlocked the door and pointed to the stairs. "Goodnight, Xiomara."

She half-chuckled and kissed his cheek, going upstairs. He decided to follow suit, knowing he'd need all the energy he could get for the next day. He was getting too old for all of this.


	33. You Are Home With Me

**So, awhile back someone asked Swanfire if they ever considered having more kids and too be honest, I always saw them fostering to adopt if anything. This is the story of the three kids that officially entered the Cassidy family.**

Emma had never really seen herself as a mom. She never played with baby dolls growing up, she avoided talks about family like the plague. After all, she never really had a maternal figure to guide her through life. When she got pregnant with Henry, she was scared. Mary Margaret and David were the best foster parents she ever had, but they came too late in her life. She was 16 and just wasn't ready. She stayed not ready for the most part, being a part-time mother at most, for the first 10 years.

Once she was there full time, though, everything changed. She regretted the time she spent apart from Henry, but also knew that all those years ago, she just wasn't ready. Even so, raising him for those next few years was suddenly what she never knew she always wanted. And once she married Neal, the question came up again: would they have more children?

Henry was 14 and they were only 30. It wouldn't be impossible to start over, but they weren't sure if they wanted to. Pregnancy was hard on Emma and the birth was far too long and complicated. Neal had been so relieved when Henry was out of diapers and could feed himself. Yet, they still wanted a chance to raise another child, to shape a new mind.

Fostering came to Emma first. She had been raised in the system and knew how hard it could get. It was talking with an old friend, Alice, that she remembered that some people are only in it for adoption. They don't think about the kids that are only in there until their parents get better and care for them again. Alice had been one of those people, her father was a good man, an amazing father. He just struggled with alcoholism after his wife died and he couldn't keep a job. Alice was temporarily placed in care and it was hard to find a home with someone who would treat her kindly, even though it wasn't a long term situation.

Emma wanted to help kids like Alice and her. Which is how Neal and her came to their decision. They'd apply to be foster parents and take in any kids that needed a home, no matter how long. They'd be that temporary stop for the Alices and if they came across an Emma who was in need of a forever home and they could be that? So be it.

Henry was on board with immediately. Wren and Belle also offered to help in any way that they could. Emma and Neal passed their classes and were soon licensed. They opened their homes to children and in the beginning, none would stay for very long. It was always hard to say goodbye, but they knew it was for the best.

Then Sofia got dropped in their laps. A surly 15-year-old who thought she knew everything about the world and that she didn't need anyone. She had long given up hope on being adopted. Getting placed with Emma and Neal, however, changed her. She did better in school and for once, saw a future for herself. She had lost her parents at age 10, long past the cute and cuddly baby phase that many looked for. Emma and Neal loved her, the whole family did and it could be a bit overwhelming at times, yet…it also made her happy.

She put off agreeing to be adopted, wondering how much the piece of paper truly meant, but it was Wren who talked her into it.

"Names have meaning. You could finally be a Cassidy and that's a pretty great thing to be."

So, she was officially adopted and their family grew.

While fostering Sofia, they did take in other placements. Most of the kids they had gotten were older, the youngest being 7. Around the time of Sofia's 17th birthday, however, they got a call about a 3 year old that had been abandoned at a fire station. They talked it over a lot. A toddler was pretty close to starting over and they brought on their own set of challenges. Still, something told them to just go see Jackson and when they did…they couldn't leave without him.

He was quiet at first and clung to Emma, which was a huge shock. Most of the kids gravitated towards Neal, but for once they had one that was a little afraid of him. Sofia was the one to mention that maybe a man had abused him at some point of his life. When they learned more about his case, it turned out to be true. Jackson's biological mother had died in childbirth and his father just couldn't handle him anymore.

They were told they would just have him for a few months, but that slowly turned into a year. One year turned to two, then three and they worried about how attached they were becoming to him. He was opening up to Neal, letting him help him with the day to day stuff. He'd crawl into their bed every night and snuggle with Emma. She was worried about a relative popping up and taking him. Sure, she'd do what was best for him…but she wasn't sure if she could emotionally let go after so long.

When he was 7, they were told finally that his father was going to be signing away his rights but that never happened. During this time, they had also taken in 11-year-old, Hope. She had also been saved from an abusive home and was awaiting to see what would happen with her. She became a part of their family so quickly and before they knew it, they were petitioning to adopt two kids instead of just one.

"It's going to be complicated," their social worker explained. "Jackson's dad is hard to track down and Hope's…well, they still think there's a chance."

"We've had Jackson for nearly 5 years now," Emma said. "Is there really a chance we could lose him again?"

"I don't want to give you a false sense of fear or one of security either. Anything could happen, you knew this going in."

They did, but it didn't make it much easier. Jackson constantly asked why he didn't have the same last name as Sofia and Henry. Hope didn't really feel safe, knowing that it was possible she could return to the same people that hurt her all those times before.

Then the first miracle fell into their laps. Jackson's biological father agreed to sign away his rights. The 5 year journey was finally over and Jackson left the system, officially becoming a Cassidy. It gave them optimism that maybe one day, Hope could also join their family.

And it seemed like someone was on their side. First the courts terminated her biological father's rights. 6 months later, her biological mother's were terminated when it was clear she'd never be able to properly care for her. It was bittersweet for both Emma and Neal, to know that the happiest days of their lives, had to come at the worst days of others. They also knew, however, that these children were meant to be theirs. They rarely felt that pull. Of course they loved and cared for every child that came into their home, but they had only felt that special pull three times after they began fostering.

On her 13th birthday, Hope's last name was changed and so was the Cassidy family, forever.

They'd continue to foster throughout the years, with more joy and heartbreak coming their way. Yet, they knew each and every time that no matter what, life was guiding these children to where they needed to be, even if it wasn't with them.


	34. Maybe, Baby

**bixisarusher prompted: Glass Believer + "so we're on the same page?"**

**Henry and Jacinda discuss having more children.**

There was a time when Jacinda was sure that nothing would ever get better and oh, how glad she was that she was wrong.

The triplets had just turned 4 and while every day brought up new challenges, things were better than they had been when they were babies. They were becoming more independent and could entertain themselves for a few minutes so she could cook dinner or even hop in the shower for a minute. They could have actual conversations with her and the things that came out of their mouths were hilarious.

Yet, it seemed that her husband didn't remember how hard those baby years had been. Every milestone, he had this bittersweet look on his face. He was proud, yet wistful and she did understand. She hated the thought that one day the kids might not need her all together. She did miss the quiet moments (as few as they were) when the triplets were babies, sitting in rocking chairs. Henry would hold one, she'd hold the other two and they'd hold hands. The kids no longer had that sweet baby smell.

All of that brought up the conversation after the kids' birthday party. They had long since tucked them in, the sugar high and excitement of running around Granny's had since worn off. Henry was trying to find places for all their new toys (their family spoiled them, there was no doubt there) and Jacinda was already starting on the thank you cards.

"So, Tiana's getting bigger," she commented, lightly.

Henry looked up from the toy box and chuckled. "Well, she's 6 months pregnant, I'd imagine she would be."

"I was thinking about giving her Mat's old baby clothes, since she's having a boy and all."

"Ah."

"Unless…you don't think I should?" It came out more of a question than a statement.

"Why wouldn't I think you should?"

"I mean, we could have another baby."

Henry paused for a moment, tilting his head. When they had been dating and knew they were serious, they discussed kids. They had agreed on three or four, they just hadn't expected three to all come along at once. Ever since she had the kids, they hadn't discussed the possibility of having that fourth.

"Do you want one?" He asked, finally.

"I mean…I don't know." She sighed. "Things are crazy and I remember what I went through when they were born. I just wasn't sure how you felt."

He moved next to her. "I admit I thought about it, when they turned 2. People at work started asking me if we'd try again."

"And?"

"For a while, I could totally picture us with another kid. The odds of us having multiples again are so low and any child to come from you would be a complete blessing."

"You just seem so…I don't know how to put it, sad when the kids reach a new milestone. I know you're happy, but maybe wistful is a better way to put it."

"I am, yes. I think of how fast time is going. My dad always said it's a blink and you miss it and I didn't believe him, until they came along. Sometimes, I think, we survived this, we could do it again with one."

"I sense a but coming on."

"Then I think about what starting over means. All the sleepless nights, the dirty diapers and late feedings. The financial aspect of it. You being so strung out and this time, we'd have 3 four-year-olds on top of it longing for our attention. Plus, by the time the baby came, they'd be close to being ready for kindergarten. That's a huge change and they need us during that time."

Jacinda nodded, these were all of the things that came to her mind as soon as she even began thinking about having another child. It was just nice to hear it come from him.

"I agree," she said.

Henry raised an eyebrow. "You do? With this conversation, I thought it was going in the other direction."

"Only because I thought you wanted another."

He let out a sigh of relief. "Gotchya."

"So, we're on the same page then. No more babies."

"No more babies." He pecked her lips. "Though I'm all for the activity that makes them, just protected."

Jacinda giggled. "Well, these thank you notes can wait."

"We already made the kids say thank you at the party, anyway."

He began kissing her neck and she tossed them to the side.

"Point taken. Let's head on up to bed."


	35. The Talk

** queen-of-the-merry-men requested to see Wren and Neal giving their sons the talk.**

Neal fumbled for his belt buckle, as Emma desperately tried to get her own jeans undone. They hadn't been expecting for things to heat up so fast, but in the middle of watching Happy Days and cuddling, it just happened. Ever since their first time a couple of months ago, they had been like rabbits, barely able to keep their hands off of each other. It was pretty tricky, considering that Wren didn't approve of their relationship. He kept telling Neal how young he was and that he needed to play the field, especially with girls from his own social class…

Why was he thinking about his father in that moment?

He began kissing down Emma's neck when he heard a sudden knock at the door. The two pulled apart from each other, completely silent. Emma's eyes communicated all they needed to: "You said your dad wasn't going to be home."

And he wasn't supposed to. It was a Wednesday, which meant Wren had office hours after his classes were done and he was supposed to be talking with his students, scaring them into actually getting their act together. Neal tried to think positively.

Maybe it's not him, maybe it's Johanna or something…

"Neal," Wren's voice traveled through the thick door. "May I come in?"

Emma hopped out of the bed and ran into the closet, quietly shutting the door behind her. Neal pulled his pants on.

"Come in, Pop."

Wren walked in, taking in his son's face. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. What are you doing here? I thought you had office hours."

"None of my students came through, so I figured I could come home early. There's something I wanted to talk to you about anyway."

"I'm kind of busy right now…"

"This is important. I know that you and Miss Swan have started dating…"

"Pop, I'm not going to argue about this again."

"I know and I'm not here to talk to you about that. There's something else that's important, something my own father and I never really discussed." Wren sat down at Neal's desk. "You're getting older and as much as I wish you'd wait, I know that's not entirely possible."

His eyes slowly widened. "Dad…"

"You're only 15, so I know you probably have another year or so, but this is important."

"No, no, it's not. I took sex ed when I was a freshman."

"And I'm sure there are some things they didn't include. Your school is pretty much abstinence is the only way."

"I'm sure you feel the same."

"Like I said, as much as I wish you'd wait, that's probably a naïve look. It's very important to be protected. Do you know how to put on a condom?"

"Okay, yeah, this has been fun but I have a lot of homework."

"Neal, this is serious. I know we've discussed the mechanics when you were younger…"

"And that's enough."

"No, it's not. Sex is a very big step in a relationship and I don't think you should take it until you're ready."

Neal's eyes shifted to the closet before looking back at his dad.

"Uh huh."

"It's important to remember to make sure she wants it and everything's consensual, never sleep with a girl when she's drunk. Even if you are too."

"I know how the law works, Pop. Please, can we just not do this? I…I'm not even having sex."

It was a lie and he could tell that his father wasn't buying it, but Wren stood up anyway.

"I'm here if you have any questions."

"I think I'll be fine."

"Alright. Well, remember we have that fundraiser this evening. Miss Swan is invited."

"I think she's coming with the Nolans anyway."

"Good."

With that, Wren left the room. Neal waited a good few minutes before opening the door and letting Emma out of the closet. She held a hand over her mouth to stifle the giggle before pecking his lips.

"Sorry our date was ruined," he whispered.

"It's fine," she mumbled back. "We've always got tonight."

They would indeed. In between speeches about an endangered species of birds and dessert, Henry would be conceived in the guest bedroom of Freya Blue's mansion. Neal would say "Fuck it" when he realized he didn't have a condom, and of course Emma wasn't on the pill.

The lack of a talk, due to his own stubbornness, made Neal away that he needed to have one with Henry when he became of age. He talked to him about the mechanics early on and of course Henry figured out that his dad had him young, which lead to a small conversation about waiting until your old enough to be a dad. Henry was only five at the time, however, so he quickly got distracted and Neal didn't want to push the issue with him that young.

It didn't come up again until shortly after Henry's 16th birthday. He had been dating his first real girlfriend, Violet, for a little over 6 months. She was a sweet girl that was in class with Mulan, she had a lot in common with him. Emma and Neal were in denial for a bit that they had anything to worry about. Henry was smarter than them…wasn't he?

One day, Neal got off work early and decided to head home. Granny was putting less time into the inn, clearly trying to shift more responsibility onto Neal and he wasn't sure if he was quite ready for it. He had been working there 15 years and it was his dream to own and operate his own inn, but it was going to be a big responsibility. For now, however, he was still just the manager who occasionally finished his paperwork and could leave Cristina in charge of the front until the night manager came in.

Henry's car (a birthday gift from Wren) was in the driveway when Neal arrived, which was a bit of a surprise. He said he was going to be hanging out with Violet that afternoon.

"Hey bud," he called out. "Your plans with Violet get cancelled?"

As he walked into the living room, he found Henry on the couch…with Violet. Both were pale and he noticed a hickey on Henry's neck. Violet's shirt was also misbuttoned. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what was going on.

"Violet, I think it's time you went home," he said, softly.

"Um, yeah, definitely." Violet hopped up and grabbed her stuff.

"Need a ride?"

"Nope, I'm good walking."

She sped out the door, leaving Henry to look anywhere but his father.

"So…when you said hanging out, I assumed Granny's…or the park…"

"We were just studying."

"You don't go to the same school."

"Well, our history classes are kind of the same."

"Henry."

Henry sighed, finally making eye contact. "Look, we were just hanging out, we didn't want to go anywhere or do anything. It just started out watching a movie and eating some snacks." He gestured to the half filled bowl of popcorn. "Then…we started kissing a little and…"

"Somehow Violet's shirt got unbuttoned?"

Henry turned bright red and Neal sighed, sitting down next to him.

"When I was your age, your mom used to come over when my dad had classes and we also…enjoyed T.V and popcorn."

"I didn't need to know that, Dad."

"Your grandfather came home early once and your mom ran and hid in the closet," Neal continued on. "He tried having the talk with me, but I just wasn't interested and I'm not about to let that happen here."

"Dad…"

"It's time we had the talk."

"No, no, no it isn't."

"Yes, it is."

"I'd rather choke on glass. We already discussed this."

"We discussed how babies are made, not about the act itself.;"

"Dad…"

"Look, I get it. You're young and you really like Violet. I'm not saying you have to wait."

Even though ideally, why couldn't he? Wasn't he the kid that wore cartoon pajamas and asked for piggy back rides? The one who dressed up as a bus boy for Halloween when he was three (with the help of Ruby) because he wanted to be like his dad?

No, no. He was a young man now. He was 16, in a few years he'd be off at Harvard and everything would be different. They needed to have this talk now.

"Guys, when they have sex…they're not always thinking. I mean sure, we enjoy it. We know it's fun, but we don't know if we're ready for it emotionally."

"The whole think with your penis thing?"

"Vulgar, but yes."

"Is that what you did the first time you had sex?"

Neal paused. "I was…young. I thought all my friends were doing it, now I wonder if half of them were bullshitting me. I loved your mom, we had done everything else, I thought it was the next step."

"Do you wish you waited?"

"Yes. I wish we had been emotionally ready, not two 15 year olds trying to figure how everything worked. That's not to say we'd take you back, not for the world…"

"You just wish you were thinking more."

"You're a smart kid, Henry. I know you are. And I also know you have a very big heart and that's great. Just use it. It'll let you know how you really feel, if you're truly ready to have sex. It's…it's a big deal. No matter what anyone else tells you, losing your virginity means something."

He ran his fingers through his hair.

"When you're intimate with somebody, in that way, you're exposing yourself. You'll never be more vulnerable. It does something to you. It's not nothing, it's not something to just swipe and be done with. Make sure when you do it, you're doing it for the right reasons. You matter, Henry. And I never want you to feel any differently."

Henry bit his lip. "When do you think I'll be ready?"

"After I'm dead."

He rolled his eyes. "Dad."

"You knew that was going to be my answer. Look, I can't tell you. You just have to follow your heart and brain. When you do, be safe and know you can come to me or your mom. Zero judgement."

"Really?"

"We got pregnant at 15, had a kid at 16. We're really the last people to judge."

Henry smiled a bit. "Thanks, Dad."

"No problem, kid."


	36. Milah

**bookwormchocaholic prompted: GG starters for WYL: I don't even like kids...**

**Takes place when Henry is 2 and Neal is 18.**

Neal walked into the lobby of the inn, with Henry on his hip and balancing grocery bags. His toddler on chosen that day of all days to be a clingy mess. It was Neal's day off which meant errands and cleaning the tiny loft they lived in above the inn. Just as he was abut to head to the stairs, his cell phone began to ring. He placed the bags down and fished the phone out of his pocket, seeing his dad's name on the screen. Having half the mind to hang up the phone, he also remembered that they hadn't talked in nearly a month and the holidays were coming up. Neal always made sure, despite his own crappy relationship with his father, that Wren saw Henry at least a few times a year.

He looked over at the front desk and found Cristina standing behind it. "Can you hold Henry for a second?"

She huffed, folding her arms over her dalmatian print fur coat. "I don't even like kids."

"But he loves his Auntie Cristina," Neal said with a smirk, which made Henry light up and reach his arms out to her.

"Auntie Cristina!" He cheered.

"What did I tell you about making him call me that?" Cristina asked, bitterly as she took the toddler into her arms.

Neal chuckled and managed to answer the phone before it went to voicemail.

"Hello?"

"Neal, it's your father."

"I know, the invention of caller ID is an amazing thing."

For once, Wren didn't snark back. "We need to talk about something."

Neal frowned, his father sounding serious. "Is everything okay?"

"I got a call this morning from your aunt Denise."

Neal's brows furrowed in confusion. He had only seen his maternal aunt a few times in his life and only once since Milah walked out on the family. She didn't like Wren and wasn't a huge fan of Neal either, though she didn't quite understand her sister's choice to leave the family.

"What did she want?"

"Milah died last weekend."

Neal shook his head. "I think I heard you wrong. It sounded like you said that Milah died."

"She did, son. It was a car accident."

Neal felt his breathing hitch and he looked around the lobby, trying to find a source of comfort. His eyes landed on Henry, who was playing with Cristina's necklace, while the woman was trying to find something else to get his attention. Ever since Henry was born and Emma took off, he had thought more about Milah. Why had she left? How could anyone just leave a child? At least Emma had returned, Neal hadn't heard from Milah since she left.

"Neal?"

He pulled himself out of his thoughts and remembered he was on the phone. "So, she's really gone?"

"Yes. She had been living in England again, apparently, but Denise is flying her body back to Connecticut for the services. The wake is tomorrow, funeral is on Wednesday, if you want to go that is."

"I have to work."

The words came out of Neal's mouth before he could help it. He was sure that Granny would give him the time off if he asked, but he realized that he didn't want to. Milah had left along time ago and he had accepted that. There was no need to rehash old wounds.

"Alright," Wren said. "I probably won't go either then."

"Okay."

There was a pause. "Do you want me to come down? We could talk about if you like?"

Before Neal could say anything else, he noticed that Henry had moved onto nearly drawing on the desk while Cristina took a call. "Pop, I gotta go. I'll call you later."

Hanging up, he rushed over and grabbed Henry, cuddling him closely a bit.

"I'm never going to leave you, Henry," he whispered, placing a kiss to the top of his dark hair. "I promise."


	37. Cinnamon Toast

**Inspired by Rory's Dance. Takes place not long after Friday night dinners began.**

Neal hadn't had a kid free weekend since before Henry was born. Sure, his son would go on the occasional sleepover or Emma would keep him out late when she visited, but he had never been gone for longer than a night.

That was until Arendelle decided to take the kids on a weekend long trip to Washington D.C. Neal was hesitant about sending Henry, but he was so excited to go with all of his friends. Robin convinced him that Henry would be just fine, all of his friends were going and he had to let go at some point.

So, reluctantly, Neal had signed the permission slip and sent in the check. Henry left Friday morning, promising to call and let him know how he was doing. As Neal looked around the parking lot, he realized that he was the only parent to show up. The rest of them had sent their nannies. Letting out a deep breath, he reminded himself that every family was different.

He had every intention of going to Friday night dinner in his son's place, after all, the deal was more so between him and Wren than anything else. Halfway through his day at the inn, though, he started to feel sick. His throat was itchy, then hurt. He couldn't stop coughing and his nose was starting to get clogged.

"You're sick," Granny said when he stopped in her office to grab his check.

"I don't get sick."

"Bull. A year after you and Henry got here, you had laryngitis."

"Yeah, well…can you pay me please?"

Granny shook her head and passed the check over to him. "Relax this weekend. I'll send Ruby by with some soup for you."

"You don't have to, Granny."

"Oh well."

He couldn't help but smile a bit as he walked out. Granny was stubborn and a bit of a pain, but he couldn't have asked for a better grandmother figure for himself and Henry. Deep down, he knew that she was right. He was sick and it came at the worst time ever. Robin had mapped out a fun weekend for the two of them, getting Regina to watch Roland for him. There was no way that he was going to be in the mood for any of that. At the very least, it'd get him out of dinner with his father.

Once he got home, Neal plopped down on the couch and dialed a number on his phone. After a few rings, his father's accented voice rang through his hear.

"Neal?"

"Pop, hey."

"You sound awful."

"Gee thanks. Looks, that's why I'm calling. I'm not up for driving to Greenwich tonight, but I'll make up for it. We'll have two dinners."

"Neal…"

"Pop, really, I could barely make it home from work. I need to relax. I'll see you next weekend."

Hanging up the phone, Neal rolled over on the couch, shutting his eyes. He took a nap until Ruby dropped by about 15 minutes later, dropping off soup and some other food. He didn't feel much like eating, so he dropped it off in the kitchen and started to head back to the couch, when there was a knock at the door.

He walked over, chuckling as he opened it. "Forget something?" He asked, expecting it to be Ruby. He paused when he saw his father standing there. "Pop. What are you doing here?"

"You're sick."

"Well…yes…"

"You're sick and Henry is out of town, you're not married."

"Did you drive all this way to rub it in that I'm a spinster?"

"You need someone to take care of you."

"Take care of me? Dad, I'm…" He leaned into his arm, letting out a shallow, mucus filled cough. He wiped his mouth and blinked the water out of his eyes. "I'm 26, I don't need to be taken care of."

"You're sick," Wren repeated, before pushing his way past his son. Neal looked at the empty doorway, to behind him, unsure of what had happened.

"Pop, really, I'm fine." Neal shut the door and followed him. "My friend Ruby dropped off some food, I have cold medicine, I'll live."

"You need to be taken care of."

"So, are you going to take me out back and shoot me?"

Wren gave him a look. "Go lay down."

Neal groaned, tilting his head back and heading over to the couch. He flopped down and covered his face with his hands. Why hadn't he just texted with another excuse?

"I'll heat up some of this soup," Wren called out.

"I'm not hungry."

"You need to eat."

"Pop, really, I don't think I can stomach anything right now."

There was some silence and Neal let out a deep breath, wondering if he had actually won. 10 minutes later, Wren walked into the living room, balancing a tray with his cane. There were a few slices of toast and a cup of tea sitting on it.

"I told you, I can't eat."

"Toast will be fine."

Neal watched as his father set it down on top of him, flipping up the legs. "Where's Belle? Don't you need to have dinner with her?"

"Belle has dinner with me every night. Frankly, I think she's sick of me."

"Really? Hasn't she only known you a couple of years?"

Wren rolled his eyes. "You're hilarious. Eat your toast, drink your tea."

Neal made a face before looking down at the toast, seeing the applesauce and cinnamon on top. He remembered his father making it for him when he was little, whenever he got sick. The tea was Earl Grey, perhaps the only kind he could stand. He ate about half the food and sipped his hot beverage. It was clear that Wren wasn't going anywhere, so he had to adjust to it.

Wren stayed by his side, getting him anything he needed. He managed to get him to eat some soup later on and even put on a movie that both of them would enjoy. Neal couldn't remember the last time they had gotten along so well.

Eventually, he started drifting off to sleep. Wren pulled a quilt up over him and started collecting the dishes and tray.

Neal wasn't sure if it was the fever or the cold medicine, but he found himself mumbling, "Thank you, Papa."


	38. Single Red Rose

**imaginemultifandoms prompted: One Red Rose - "I love you" "You are the one for me" - *whispers* GlassBeliever**

**The story of how Henry asked out Jacinda for the first time. Minor violence included.**

Henry had known Jacinda since they were kids. His grandfather had tried to set them up, but Neal quickly but the kibosh in that. Henry would never blame him, he was too young, he wasn't anywhere near ready to date. Throughout his teen years, he hadn't really focused on girls. School and friends were what he really cared about-Jacinda fell among that group. They both attended Arendelle Prep and ran in the same circles. Henry didn't bat an eye when she started dating Nick and she was perfectly fine when he asked Violet to their sophomore homecoming.

Those relationships were high school and they didn't last very long. By the time they were in college, both of them were single once again. As fate would have it, they both got into Yale University and started their secondary education there. Henry was going for journalism, while Jacinda strove for a child psychology degree. Some of their 101 classes intertwined and it was nice to have a familiar face in a sea of competitiveness.

It was towards the end of the summer between their freshmen and sophomore years that Henry realized he was starting to look at Jacinda differently. He had always known she was beautiful, but for some reason, he found himself staring at her at all times, especially when she smiled. She came down from Greenwich to visit him in Stars Hollow, wearing a beautiful blue sundress, her curls loose down her shoulders.

He was falling head over heels for her…and he wasn't sure how to tell her.

Two weeks into the semester, Henry remembered the story of Wren and Belle. His grandfather had told him that after their drinks on his birthday, he had brought a bouquet of roses to Belle's bookshop to ask her on a second date. Belle had been so charmed by the gesture, they went out right then and there. So, using part of the paycheck he got for swiping cards in the dining hall, Henry purchased a dozen red roses from the nearest florist he could find and headed back to the dorms, ready to ask Jacinda on a date.

Unfortunately, New Haven wasn't the greatest area. As he walked towards campus, he was approached by two men.

"Wallet, now," one of them demanded.

Henry fumbled into his pocket, balancing the flowers as he did. He may have grown up in the sheltered world of Stars Hollow, but Neal had always taught him…give the muggers what they want. He tossed them his wallet, but it didn't have much in it. A couple of bucks, a debit card he would cancel later and some forms of identification. The mugger scoffed and pushed him up against the wall, knocking the flowers out of his hands in the process.

"Hey!"

The mugger's fist collided with his face, as his buddy checked Henry for more money. Henry attempted to fight back, but he was outnumbered. Just as he got another punch to the gut, he heard a familiar voice from nearby.

"Let him go."

The muggers pulled away and through his blurred vision, Henry could see Jacinda standing there. In her hands, was a pocket knife.

"Step away from him or you're going to get it."

The bigger one laughed and took a step towards Jacinda, but she pulled out a can of mace as well. The two men took off into the night. Jacinda put her weapons away and dropped to her knees in front of Henry, inspecting his face. It was already beginning to swell and he would have matching black eyes come morning.

"I'll call the police," she told him. "Don't worry."

Henry shook his head. "They're gone. It's not going to do any use," he said, hoarsely.

"You at least need to be checked out. Let me take you to urgent care."

Henry turned and looked at where the roses had fallen. The muggers had trampled them, leaving only one left looking anywhere presentable. He held it out to her, ignoring the pain that was coming from his ribs. Jacinda tilted her head.

"I was bringing these to you," he explained. "To ask you on a date. This is the only one that survived."

Jacinda's lips formed into a small smile. "Really?"

"Really. I'm sorry there's not more."

"I don't care about that." Jacinda wrapped an arm around him and helped him to his feet, pouting sympathetically when he let out a hissing sound and held his ribs. "Don't worry, I'll get you all patched up before our first date."


	39. Orange Roses

**jackabelle73: A single orange rose prompt for Swanfire. (A single orange rose: "I am proud of you")**

**Takes place before Emma & Neal's reconciliation.**

Emma had spent far too long in the floral shop trying to pick out the flowers. Neal definitely wasn't a flower type of guy, but she wasn't sure what else she was supposed to get him. They weren't together at the moment, but they had been at one point. She had given him a child-and he had raised that child beautifully. They weren't just friends, but she couldn't define what was going on between him. Any other gift seemed to impersonal or too much. Flowers were safe, flowers were good.

She thought of the things they laughed about when they were teenagers. Emma had never been to any fancy parties before she was placed with Mary Margaret and David. She had shown up to the first one so thoroughly underdressed (wearing a dark pink dress she had been given by a former foster sister and she had refused to let Mary Margaret buy her anything new) and all of the other girls had refused to talk to her. Neal approached her and gave her a crooked smile. He was wearing a suit, though he took the jacket off and threw it over his shoulder, his tie already loose.

"Fuck 'em," he said. "You want to get a drink?"

"I don't even know you."

"Name's Neal."

She paused before taking his outstretched hand. "Emma."

They had spent the rest of the night making fun of weird floral arrangements, drinking from a flask Neal had snuck and dancing to "Only You" by Yazoo on his Walkman. She had fallen head over heels for him instantly.

Now things were much different. They hadn't danced in over a decade and she didn't blame him for not looking at her with the same spark in his eye that he once had. She had hurt him and she couldn't take it back.

She finally decided on the most ridiculous arrangement before driving her beat up bug to the community college one town over. She settled in her seat beside Henry, keeping her eyes on the stage as the ceremony started. Due to his name change, they didn't have to wait long for Neal's name to be called.

Neal Cassidy, finally getting his associate's degree at 28. No one could be prouder.

Once the ceremony ended, Wren arranged for a million pictures in so many different poses. Eventually, they all went out to their cars and Henry rode with his grandparents back to Granny's, where the whole town was excited to celebrate the accomplishments of the former teenage father.

"So, you coming to the party?" Neal asked Emma.

"I um, actually have some work to get done."

"Oh."

"But I just want to let you know…I'm proud of you."

"Em…"

"I mean it. Look at how much you accomplished on your own, with a kid no less." She shrugged. "It's inspiring."

She reached into the backseat of her bug and pulled out the bouquet, handing them over. Neal raised an eyebrow, clearly fighting off a laugh.

"Orange roses?"

"The most ridiculous arrangement I could find."

Neal snorted. "They're perfect. Thanks."

"Anytime."

Emma watched Neal walk off to his car, letting out a sigh once he was out of the parking lot. God, she still loved that man.


	40. Confession

**This was always a headcanon of mine, but watching Private Practice really wanted me to bring it to fruition.**

Neal considered himself a good dad, always. He didn't have many regrets for how he raised Henry. If they hadn't moved to Stars Hollow, their lives would be so different. He needed to do it, he needed to break out and be his own person.

His one major regret crept up on him when Henry and Emma started seeing Archie together. He tried to ignore, he tried to tell himself that he had always made the right choice, that he had always protected Henry. Yet, deep down, he couldn't help but wonder about the "what ifs".

Wren had stopped by the inn to go over plans for a surprise party he wanted to throw for Belle there. It was their anniversary and he really wanted to make it special for her, especially considering it also coincided with his birthday. Neal was only half-listening to his father prattle on about floral arrangements and how many people could fit in the dining room. Eventually, Wren started to pick up on that.

"Neal, what did I just say?"

Neal resisted the urge to roll his eyes. It was a tactic Wren had done since he was a child. "You know, I'm 28 now. You can just call me out on not paying attention."

"My way's more fun. Now, you want to tell me what's going on?"

5 years ago, Neal would've shrugged it off and ignored it. Ever since the twins though, he had tried to make the same efforts that his dad did. The truth was, his dad would probably get it more than anyone else.

"Emma and Henry have started going to therapy together, to work out stuff."

"By stuff you mean her abandoning him when he was a baby and barely being in his life for 10 years?"

"You know what, forget it. I know what Belle likes, we can accommodate everyone…"

"Neal, wait." Wren held up his hand. "I'm sorry. I don't hate Emma, its just…hard. She hurt you pretty badly."

"I know. I was there."

Wren sighed. "Please, tell me what's going on. Are you worried about Henry?"

"No. I'm happy he's getting help, I want him to have a good relationship with his mom. Especially so we can move forward and finally be a family."

"Then what is it?"

"It's just…there's something that has stuck with me for a long time. I know Emma would never tell him and Henry would probably get it eventually, but…I still beat myself up for it every day."

"What happened?"

Neal ran his fingers through his hair and tilted his head so he was looking up at the ceiling.

"When Henry was 4, Emma came for a visit. It was a great one, probably the best we had since she started. Henry was happy and for the first time since she came back into our lives, I was smiling around her. Things were pretty damn good."

"Okay."

"At the end of the visit, Emma started talking about wanting to see him more. She said she'd give up traveling and move to Connecticut. She said we could split custody and she'd help out financially."

"That never happened."

"Because I told her no!"

Wren raised an eyebrow and Neal buried his face in his hands.

"I didn't believe her, I didn't think she'd be able to do it. I thought she'd do it for 10 minutes, get bored and then jet off. Only this time, Henry would be old enough to understand and then he'd be heartbroken. Then I'd…"

"Get your heart broken again?"

Neal bit his lip, cradling his own face in his hands. "I told her no. I told her that he was my son and that she wasn't ready to be in his life. I said I'd fight tooth and nail to keep full custody."

"And what did Emma say?"

"She didn't even fight me on it. She said I was probably right, kissed me goodbye and left."

"If she really wanted that, Neal, she would've fought harder."

"Or I could've told her yes and then Henry would've had a full time mom, just like he always wanted."

The room was silent for a minute, neither of them saying a word. Eventually, Wren spoke up again.

"I used to think about what I would do if Milah tried to come back," he said. "If I'd let her or if I'd tell her to screw herself."

"And?"

"The verdict was the latter. The day never came, but I knew she'd never get her hands on you again. I don't think I could've even given what you gave Emma, the opportunity to just walk in and out of your life as she pleased. Hell, when you told me the arrangement you two had, I thought it was a bad idea."

"So you told me."

"In time, though, I realized that every case is different. As a lawyer, I should've known that. Emma was fit to be a part time mom at the time and it was what was best for Henry. It wasn't best for Milah to be in your life at all."

Wren squeezed his shoulder.

"You made the right choice, son."

"What if she had been ready, though? What if I'm what caused them to lose all that time together?"

"Emma made that choice when she left that hospital and didn't lay eyes on the baby for 2 years. You are his father, you got to make the choices. Obviously she knew that."

Neal nodded. "We never talked about this…the fact that we both got left."

"We're not exactly the type of people to talk about our problems."

"No…but Archie is pretty good."

Wren smiled a bit. "Well, maybe he can see another dysfunctional parent and child, then."

"I'd like that."


	41. Christmas Miracles

**Takes place during Henry's first Christmas.**

Wren stood in the doorway to the parlor, watching Neal look out the window. A wrapped present was in his hand, looking with so much anticipation. Despite not hearing from Emma since they left the hospital with Henry, he had invited her to spend Christmas with them. She had never responded, but it was clear Neal still had hope. He had purchased her a necklace and kept holding out hope that she'd show up.

"Son," he said, softly.

Neal didn't move from his spot from next to the tree. "She could come tomorrow."

Wren was suddenly brought back to after Milah left. Neal stood in the same place, same hopeful look. He had a feeling that just like Milah, Miss Swan would never be coming back. "She's not, son, and you know that." He put a hand on his shoulder, but Neal pulled away.

"She'll be here."

"Even if she doesn't, you'll be okay. It's Henry's first Christmas."

"The kid's just over four months old. He's not going to remember anything."

"No, but you will. Come on, it's time we play Santa Claus."

Neal gave his father a hesitant look, but put the gift back down under the tree. He followed Wren up to the closet where the presents were kept. He had bought quite a few things for Henry, but it was clear that Wren had gone above and beyond. Half the things, he was probably too young for, but Neal didn't say anything about it. He helped his father wrap everything up, managing to find places for everything under the tree and in the stockings.

Soon, the grandfather clocked chimed, signaling that it was after midnight. Neal arched his back, yawning a bit.

"I'm surprised Henry hasn't woken up since I put him down," he mused.

"Early Christmas present from him to you. Speaking of which," Wren handed him a box with a red bow on it.

Neal smiled a bit. "Um yeah, I have something for you too." He reached under the tree and handed it over to him.

The two Gold men opened up their gifts. Inside Wren's was a picture frame that had a photo David Nolan had taken the day Henry was born. Wren was holding a newborn Henry, beaming down proudly at him. Neal was standing nearby, looking misty-eyed himself. Wren smiled, gently arranging it on the mantle among all the knickknacks and other photos.

Neal unwrapped his own, finding a photo album inside. There were so many pictures of Henry, some comparing what Neal looked like at the same age. There were also a few that Neal had never seen before, including one of him passed out in the rocking chair with Henry on his chest. It was next to a similar one of Wren and Neal from 16 years ago.

"Wow, I didn't even know you had been taking all of these."

"Some of them were taken by Johanna, but I did a good chunk of them. I know how hard it can be to sit back and enjoy the moments when you're busy doing all of it on your own. I want you to have memories when he's not this small and you're wishing you weren't so tired back then."

A watery smile came across Neal's face. "Thanks, Pop," he whispered.

The baby monitor crackled and some whimpering came through. Neal propped up the photo album on the end table.

"Guess I better go get him," he said.

Wren watched his son, going upstairs. They hadn't had a sweet moment like that in quite some time. Maybe holidays were the time for miracles after all.


	42. (blood) Sugar

**Emma surprises everyone when she makes an appearnce at Henry's sixth birthday party and tries to be the "cool mom", much to Neal's chagrin.**

Neal didn't consider his arrangement co-parenting. Sure, Emma saw Henry, but she didn't parent. She was more like a fun aunt, showing up to go to the zoo or the park but leaving before any major tantrums happened. She never had to take care of Henry when he was sick or figure out how to give him any difficult discussions. Neal knew he had agreed to that arrangement and he wasn't going to complain about it, but there were times he wished Emma was at least a little self-aware sometimes.

It was Henry's 6th birthday party and they were having his party at the diner. Granny and Ruby had gone all out as they normally did. There were colorful decorations, plenty of food and lots of games. The kids were currently running around, chasing each other with the wooden swords that David had brought. Neal leaned against the diner, folding his arms across his chest in relief. It seemed to be a success, everyone was happy and no one was crying. Even with his father standing awkwardly by one of the picnic tables dressed in a three-piece suit and sunglasses not talking to a single soul and looking like the bouncer, it was a good day.

"Henry!"

Neal's head snapped up and she saw that familiar yellow bug, followed by that even more familiar mess of blonde curls.

"Mommy!" Henry exclaimed, running into her awaiting arms, one of which had a giant gift bag strung over it.

Emma was a bit tanner than usual, which was a shock because normally she burnt like the best of them. She was wearing her standard skinny jeans and a white tank top, paired with some black boots. Robin appeared at his side.

"I thought she wasn't coming."

"She said she wasn't."

It was rare Emma came to a birthday party. Neal couldn't say he blamed her. She had gone to the one the year following her return and it had been very awkward. Ruby, her former foster sister, had been kind as had Robin but Granny had iced her out. Wren had showed up unannounced and snarked at her the entire time despite Neal's pleas to be civil. After that, Emma normally met up the weekend after. She said it was just easier. Neal had tried to tell his Stars Hallow family to be kinder to her, but outside Ruby and Robin, not many really understood their arrangement. It had been 3 years since and he hadn't expected that to change.

Now there she was, unannounced and looking very much happy. Neal glanced over at her former foster parents, but Mary Margaret and David looked just as confused, as did Ruby. He didn't bother looking back at his father as he walked over to his ex and son, forcing a smile on his face.

"Hey guys," he said. "What's going on?"

"Mom's here!" Henry was beaming from ear to ear, practically clinging to his mom as he normally did when she did show up. "I didn't know she was coming."

"I didn't either." Neal met Emma's eyes. "Surprise?"

Emma giggled a bit, shrugging. "I couldn't miss the kid's birthday."

Neal tilted his head. He knew Emma was unpredictable but this was a new one, even for her. Luckily for him, before he could say anything further, Ruby appeared at his side. "Hey Emma!" Her smile was a bit more genuine than Neal's, but only marginally. "There's lots of food, let's go eat."

"Well first, I have something for the kids."

Emma reached into the back of her bug, pulling out another large bag and handing it to Henry. He took a peek in and grinned.

"Chocolate?!"

"Yup. Mini-Apollo bars, share with your friends."

Neal's eyes widened as Henry ran off before he could stop him. They were already going to be having cake and Ruby had fed them cotton candy and frozen hot chocolates before. There were about a dozen kids. They didn't need that huge bag of candy between them, especially with all the other food. They were going to end up getting sick. Not to mention, Henry got over stimulated with too much sugar, which meant he'd probably be up late.

"Really, Emma? Candy? They're going to have cake," Neal grunted.

"Their kids," Emma replied with an eye roll. "And it's his birthday. Doesn't he deserve a treat?"

"Emma…"

"I'm his mom too, you know?"

Neal pursed his lips, realizing that Henry was still close by playing with Mulan and the rest of his friends. "I have to go make sure everyone has drinks."

Neal walked off, leaving Emma with Ruby. Robin patted him on the back in sympathy and passed him a beer which he happily accepted. Thankfully he became legal before Henry's last birthday. He sipped on it slowly, not wanting to get tipsy. He watched as Emma laughed with Ruby, letting Henry open up his present early and talk with Mary Margaret and David. She was having the time of her life and all Neal wanted was for her to leave. He wasn't exactly sure why she chose today to play "mom", but he'd let her. She'd see the consequences of excess sugar.

"What is she doing here?"

"I don't know," Neal replied, wearily.

"Are you just going to let her?"

"What do you want me to do? Kick her out?"

"I'm just saying, you don't have a set schedule…"

"Pop, do I really look like I'm up for this right now?" He snapped.

Even with the sunglasses, Neal could see the eyebrows pop up. He didn't care, turning back to face the kids. That's when he heard the telltale sound of retching. He went over to where the kids had been playing to find Emma standing with puke on her and Henry looking green. Emma's eyes were wide, looking at her son as if he were going to explode on the spot. Neal swept into action, picking up his son, rubbing his back.

"It's alright, buddy," he said. "Let's go sit in the shade for a little bit."

Henry nodded, resting his head on his father's shoulder. Neal carried his son over to the table in the shade and Ruby brought him some water. The party died down after that, parents bringing their kids home and the other adults helping Granny clean up. Wren came by to quietly check on them and give his grandson a kiss goodbye, neither son or father discussing the fight they had as usual. Henry fell asleep on his father's lap, clearly exhausted and not feeling that well.

Neal stood up, groaning at the dead weight in his arms as he carried him to the car. He'd go grab the gifts and say goodbye to everyone after. Neal knew better than to offer to finish help cleaning up once that was done. Granny wouldn't let him as she always liked to say Henry's birthdays were as much about him getting through another year. Strapping Henry into his car seat, he could hear Emma behind him.

"How's he feeling?"

"He didn't throw up again, so that's good." Neal turned to find her now wearing a pair of Ruby's jeans and a shirt with the diner's logo on it. "You don't smell like barf anymore."

"Took a shower." She ran her fingers through her hair. "I'm sorry I went kind of overboard."

Neal shrugged. "I probably should've stopped you."

"I wouldn't have let you. I guess I just feel this guilt sometimes…" Emma trailed off, looking into the backseat. "I know I made the right choice; you know? I can't do what you do. He deserves so much more than me. It doesn't change that I wish I could."

"I know you do, Emma. You're not a bad person for what you chose." He sighed. "We were young, I wanted to keep him, you wanted something else and if you had stayed…it wouldn't have been fair to him. He's got a good life; the way things are."

Robin came over, holding the two garbage bags full of presents, Granny and Ruby following with the massive Tupperware containers of leftovers.

"I don't need all that," he argued.

"You won't cook," Granny pointed out. "So, might as well take it."

Neal rolled his eyes. "But this much? My fridge at the loft is small."

"You'll make room."

"Just accept it, Nee," Ruby said, as she placed one of the dishes in the front seat. "You know you're not gonna win."

Neal laughed, helping them load up. When he finished, he noticed Emma standing outside of the crowd, watching. He saw an almost wistful look in her eyes.

"You leaving town tonight?"

"No, I'm uh…staying until tomorrow, Mary Margaret and David offered up their place. I was hoping I could take Henry for breakfast. I'll make it healthy to make up for today."

Neal nodded. "It's a deal. Be at the inn around 8."

Neal thanked Robin, Ruby and Granny once last time, before heading back towards the inn. When he got to the first stop sign, he peered into the rearview mirror at his sleeping son. 6 years ago that day, he had become a father. His life changed that day, he had to grow up incredibly fast.

Even so…he wouldn't change it for the world.


	43. Here Comes The Son Pt I

**Based on a prompt by Queenofthemerrymen, surrounding Henry and Mat having a falling out that lasts a couple of years. This takes place when Mat is 27, Henry is 49.**

**This will be a multi-part series, sort of a next generation type thing. **

Quiet.

That was still something that Henry was getting used to.

After 22 years of having the triplets under their roof, with the addition of little Wren coming later on, he wondered if he ever would get a moment's peace. If there'd ever be a time where the girls weren't arguing over who's sweater belonged to whom or reprimanding Mat for sneaking in late. There were no more sounds of Barney or the Magic School Bus, the only toys were for their grandchildren when they came by. Family dinners were held at Belle's, so the only times things ever got loud were when they had the occasional one there.

Still, though, he never regretted stopping at three. He loved his kids, but coming home to his sexy wife and having it just be them was pretty damn nice too.

"Honey, I'm home," he called out, jokingly.

Jacinda's laugh boomed from the kitchen, poking around the corner. "Hey babe. How was work?"

"Good. We got everything together on time."

"Do you ever not?"

"No, but you know me…"

"Wren Gold's grandson?"

Henry flashed her a sad smile, looking at the entry way wall. It had the last family picture they would ever take, that would actually be complete. His grandfather stood front and center, his hand firmly on his cane. His hair was grey, there were tons of wrinkles, but he also had his namesake and great-great-grandchild on his hip and was smiling. Neal and Henry stood on either side of him, wearing matching suits, fulfilling the eldest Gold man's lifelong dream. The triplets were in the front, lined up in a row with Melody beside Lucy. Alba and Gideon were also side by side, Emma and Belle not far behind with Gideon's husband, Roderick and Alba's wife, Raven with their respective kids. Neal and Emma's other kids took up the space on the bottom, showing just how much their family had grown over the years and that DNA truly didn't mean a damn thing.

None of them could've imagined that just a few short months later, Wren would be gone. To Henry, he was immortal. Some kind of never aging God that could withstand anything. Sure, he had become a grandfather young and a great-grandfather not much older and that might have had something to do with it, but he just seemed to be there for everything. He saw Henry graduate high school, then college. Then, Wren had done the same for his great-grandchildren, supporting whatever they had wanted to do. Henry knew realistically that he wouldn't live to see Xiomara's daughter grow up, but he lived in ignorant bliss.

He made it to 90 years old, before they found out about his heart. There were treatments and no expense was spared, but ultimately, he was gone. Wren's spirit left the world, leaving his family to mourn the heavy loss.

Henry shook it off, walking closer to his wife. "What's for dinner? Anyone stopping through?"

"No, it's just us. I'm making empanadas," Jacinda said, kissing him once he reached the kitchen. "Lucy called, she and Mel are going to drop Sebastian off here tomorrow. It's their anniversary."

"Sounds good to me, they haven't been out since he was born."

"Exactly. Xo texted, Wren's so excited for her first day of school."

Henry grinned; he couldn't believe his granddaughter was old enough for school. "That's great. She's going to be so smart. She's a Tremaine-Cassidy-Gold after all." He started walking to the fridge, opening it to grab a water.

"Also…Mat called."

He froze, his hand hovering over the water. "Huh?"

"He um…said he has some news."

"Oh." Henry's hand floated from the water over to the beer, grabbing one. "Wonder what it could be." He cracked open the beer and took a long swig.

Jacinda sighed. "I don't know, Henry, but he's reaching out. That's good, right?"

"Right, right. I'm glad he knows what a phone is."

She raised an eyebrow. "Henry. Don't. You are just as much at fault for what's going on between you two."

"Me?! I'm not the one who…" He trailed off when he saw the look on his wife's face, sighing. "I'm sorry. I don't want to take this out on you. I know all of this has been hard on you and Mat's relationship."

Jacinda took a few steps forward, putting her hands on his hips. "This could be the start of something," she whispered. "Maybe it's an olive branch. Maybe you two can finally talk it out."

"Maybe," Henry mumbled. He would be lying if he said he didn't miss his son. God, he missed him. More than anything he wished Wren was still around so he could talk to his grandfather about what he went through those first 10 years of his life when Neal barely spoke to him. "When are we seeing him?"

"He wants to take us out to eat, Hugo's."

Henry gave a weird look. "Of course…willing to drop money…"

"Henry!"

"I'm going to be nice! I promise!"

"Good." Jacinda turned back to her cooking. "Because this is a good thing."

"A good thing," Henry echoed, his eyes traveling to the fridge. Like the walls in their house, it was a shrine to their family. There was a picture of him and Mat, on his son's prom night. He had helped him get ready, just as Neal had with him. They had so much fun, laughing and talking about his plans for the night. They once had such a great relationship. Things had gone wrong so long before "the incident" and he didn't understand how.

*x*

Hugo's was a place that Wren and Belle probably would've dragged them to once upon a time. High prices, tiny portions and a dress code. Men wore jackets, women were encouraged to be in skirts. A man played classical piano, the same tune throughout the night. It was the exact scene that one would expect from a Yale graduate. Yet, Henry had spent most of his time in places like Granny's, in his jeans no less. Now, he was wearing a suit and tie, while Jacinda wore a nice dress, her hair curled.

"Mom, Dad!"

They turned to find Mat headed their way, a smile on his face that didn't quite reach the eyes. Henry had noticed that a lot the older his son got. He wore a suit-probably designer-and had his dark hair slicked down. At one point, he had curls that he inherited from both sides of his family, but he hardly let those show. When he leaned in to kiss Jacinda's cheek, Henry could smell his overpowering cologne.

"Hey baby," Jacinda said, her voice light and happy. "You look great."

"Me? Look at you! Smoking, Mom, truly." He chuckled before turning to smack five with his dad. "Dad."

Henry couldn't believe Mat was acting as if nothing had happened, and yet, that seemed exactly like him. "Matias. It's good to see you."

"You too. Come sit. I've got the best seat in the house."

"I'd expect nothing less."

Mat and the hostess lead them over to a table by the window, a tad more private than the hustle and bustle of the busy middle. Henry watched as his son smiled and nodded to some people on the way to the table, clearly colleagues and partners.

Taking after his father and grandfather, Mat had gone to an Ivy League school-though he had opted for Stanford. Getting a scholarship and other aid, he had pulled off a miracle by barely needing to borrow any money from his great-grandfather. While there, he had helped develop an app with some friends. It didn't go very far, but with that experience, he was able to get a great job at a software development company in Manhattan.

"So, how's Tiffany?" Henry asked, settling down to look at the menu. He had to do his best to not bulge his eyes at the prices. Wren Gold was his grandfather, but he had been raised on McDonalds and Kraft mac & cheese.

Mat's brows furrowed. "Broke up years ago, Dad."

"Oh, sorry to hear that. She was nice." The truth was, Henry had met her probably twice before Wren died. She was a skinny red head, who wore a diamond necklace to Granny's and worried about getting mugged in front of Old Man Twickam's house.

"Right…"

Jacinda cleared her throat, keeping a smile on her face. "So, Matty, how's business?"

"It's going great. We've been developing a new software for a medical company these past few months, so it's taken up most of my time," Mat explained, that not-smile returning. "And you? Xo told me that you expanded the daycare."

Henry listened to the two of them talk about Jacinda's new business, but only half-heartedly. Eventually the waitress came over, and Mat took over the ordering. Henry barely recognized the son in front of him. Growing up, Mat had been shy, a bit of a recluse. In fact, he reminded Henry a lot of himself. Lucy and Xiomara were very active, taking stands for what they believed in. Mat ended up making a core group of friends in high school, but this charming, charismatic, flirt had emerged from college.

"Now that we have that out of the way," Mat said once the waitress walked off. "Let's get to my news."

"Yes, your mother said it was quite big."

Mat nodded. For once, the smile slipped and he looked a bit serious. "I know I haven't exactly been the world's best uncle."

"You were in college when Wren was born," Jacinda assured him. "And Sebastian just came along. There's time."

"Well, I want to do more, be there."

Henry tilted his head. "Are you moving back to Stars Hollow?"

"Oh no. However, I have been talking to Nana Belle a lot lately. She's doing well, but with the twins out of the house, married and all, Pop-Pop's place is just getting to be too big for her."

Henry and Jacinda nodded. Belle had mentioned that at one of the last family dinners. She had been looking into purchasing their vacation home on the Cape full time, but wasn't sure what to do with the house. It had been Wren's first step away from Malcolm. Emma and Neal didn't need it much either, even the kids they had adopted were grown and they only took in emergency placements, focusing on the inn now that Granny had passed. The rest of the family either had no use for it or couldn't afford it.

"She wants to keep the house in the family, so she's offered to sell it to me."

Jacinda's grin only widened. "Well, I think that's great."

Henry frowned. "But what about your job?"

"I can commute to the city. It's only an hour, by car or train."

"It's far too big for you by yourself."

"Well, hopefully one day I'll be able to fill it with kids like Pop-Pop and Nana Belle did."

Henry didn't say anything further, he just sipped on his water. He could feel the anger inside of him building. Deep down, he knew that he should be happy that the house was staying in the family, but of all the people for it to go to…

He didn't say much else as the night went on. Instead, Henry focused on his tiny portions, disgusting wine and half-listened to Jacinda's questions about the move, him selling his loft on the Upper East Side and more. As he sat there, he realized that he had so much anger to his son, a boy that once lit up his heart and made him smile like no one else could. Now, he was just so disappointed and no matter how hard he tried…he just couldn't shake it.

Eventually, the dinner came to an end. Henry was irritated, tired, buzzed and still hungry. Mat paid the check and kissed his mom's cheek, before patting his dad on the back. He said he'd be in touch, but in the meantime, he had to get back into the city due to an "early morning". Jacinda handed Henry the valet tag, asking him to grab the car while she went to the bathroom.

Henry made his way outside, handing the tag to the employee. As he stood there waiting, he noticed Mat was there as well, fiddling with a cigarette.

"They always take forever," he mumbled when he saw his father. "Great food, shit valet."

"Surprise you grace them with your presence," Henry muttered.

Mat chuckled, taking a drag. "Ya know, most fathers would be glad that their sons would be moving closer, but you?" He shook his head. "Only you would be upset."

"I'm not upset, Mat."

"Yes, you are."

"I'm not." He turned to his son. "I just don't get why you're interested in the house of the man that you couldn't bother to come to the funeral for."

Mat's lips drew a firm line. "I thought we could get past this."

"How?" Henry felt his body trembling. "Do you know what Grandpa meant to me? He put me through school, both prep and college. Without him, I probably wouldn't have met your mother, you kids wouldn't even be here."

"I've heard the stories, Dad."

Henry continued as if he hadn't heard him. "I went to him for advice for so much. He was there for me, but most importantly, for all of you kids. He and Belle took you and your sisters on vacations, sleepovers, all of that. He loved you so damn much…and what do you do? You skip his funeral to attend a business trip in Tokyo."

Mat bit his lip. "Dad…"

"But hey, don't worry. At least we got fucking flowers, huh?"

Mat exhaled, letting out some of the smoke he had just let in. He stared forward for a few minutes, the only sounds being the ambient noises of the restaurant behind them and the cicadas chirping in the warm, Connecticut summer air.

"We're doing this, huh?" Mat asked, and Henry realized he was talking to himself. "I guess we are." He dropped the cigarette and fully faced his dad. "I talked to Pop-Pop ever day leading up to his death, ever since he got sick. I called him every single day, if I couldn't see him in person that was."

Henry folded his arms over his chest. "Okay?"

"You said he paid for your school, but you know he paid for mine too right? What I couldn't. He also was the one person I could go to, for anything. He was my outlet, for my entire life."

Henry felt his face fall and his muscles loosen. "What…what are you talking about?"

"Dad…did you ever stop to consider that I never told you what I wanted to be when I grow up?"

He paused for a moment. "When you were 5…you said you wanted to be a fireman."

"I mean, seriously. As a teenager, you could tell that Xiomara wanted to be a lawyer, and that Lucy wanted to go into photography. But did you even know that I was interested in tech?"

"You never told me."

"Did you ever ask?"

Henry fumbled over himself. "Well…I…" He trailed off. "We talked, about a lot of stuff."

"I'm not denying that we did. You'd ask how my day was, but beyond "Good", how much did you really hear?"

Henry's mouth dropped open. No, this wasn't true. He knew his kids; he knew all of them. They all had a great relationship with one another, or at least they had before his son became a total snob obsessed with himself.

"This is ridiculous. We had a good relationship, Mat. Up until you went to college, we were close. Then you got on this high horse and it was hard to get you down."

Mat scoffed. "Right, of course that's how you see it."

A black Cadillac, resembling his grandfather's way too much, pulled up and the valet stepped out. Mat handed the guy some cash and walked over to the door, looking up at his dad.

"It was good seeing you, Dad. Say hi to Xiomara and Lucy for me."

He got into the car and drove away. Henry stood in the dust, feeling a mix of anger, confusion and mostly hurt.


	44. Here Comes The Son Pt II

**This installment contains the prompted line that inspired this arc: ""For God's sake Henry, just admit you dropped the ball and pick it back up. Dad didn't admit it and he didn't talk to your father for years.", by queen-of-the-merry-men.**

The Gold house would never not seem massive to Henry, no matter how many times he saw it. Growing up, it was like a castle. Neal told him that there were dragons lurking around the corner and he would sneak his wooden sword in, just in case they needed to fight. As he got older, it felt safe and warm, comforting. It was his home away from home, a place where he would always have a room. Wren had updated the nursery over the years, making it into a bedroom for a "proper young man" as he liked to say, so Henry could spend the night as often as he wanted. There were the Friday night dinners that decreased after college, but still never went out of style.

The house had so many memories and a huge part of him was so happy that no one else was going to live there.

Yet, another part of him couldn't shake his argument with Mat.

After the dinner, he and Jacinda weren't exactly on the best of terms either. Henry had told her about the argument and she wasn't thrilled that he had decided to pick at it, especially when he promised to stay civil. They had waited so long for Mat to come back to them and now she was afraid that it was never going to happen.

When Mat skipped Wren's funeral, Henry had been furious. The next time he saw him, it lead to a huge argument where Henry did most of the yelling and Mat just stood there, acting unbothered by it all. In the end, Mat went back to New York and barely spoke to either of them for the next 2 years. Sure, he'd see them at events, but it'd be awkward. He'd call his mother once every few months, never his father. Lucy, Xiomara and the rest of the family knew better than to talk about Mat in front of him, so he wasn't sure how often they saw him outside of those, but he was sure it wasn't very often.

Henry hated having this relationship with Mat and he did want it to change. He just didn't think it was going to get anywhere without an apology, and especially not with Mat claiming that he didn't know him. How could he put everything back on Henry? This wasn't his fault. Wren hadn't been the only one to see him, that couldn't possibly true…could it?

Shaking it off, Henry rang the doorbell and was greeted by the housekeeper. He handed over the coat and took in the now mostly barren entry way. Belle, Alba, Gideon and their respective spouses had been packing up the house. She had officially purchased the vacation home on the Cape and planned to live there full time, visiting her family often of course, but it was time for her to discover herself in her second act of life now that Wren was gone.

Henry made his way to the study, that day's mission. He said he would help, knowing it would be hard on them. That day, it would just be the twins and Belle, five people that really knew him best. He pushed open the door and found some folded up boxes, with Alba and Gideon sitting at the large oak desk, pouring over an old photo album.

Alba favored her mother. Blonde hair (Belle's natural color) and blue eyes, with Belle's nose and chin. Gideon, however, outside the lighter brown hair, was pretty much a mirror image of the Gold men. His eyes were hazel and when he smiled, you could see Wren. There were times it was hard to look at him since his grandfather past, seeing how much of him was in there. At the same time, it was such a blessing to have that piece of him left on Earth.

"Hey guys," he said. "Not much packing?"

The two looked up. "We started but then came across these," Alba explained. "Pretty much ancient, from back when Papa was a kid."

Henry crouched down next to them, ignoring the pain in his knees as he did so. "Damn," he mumbled. Sometimes it was weird seeing his grandfather as a kid, in the old, faded polaroids. "He looks a lot like you did when you were small, Gid."

"Look at this one I found though, when he was a teenager," Gideon said, holding it up. "Just like you did."

He took it from his "uncle", marveling at the similarities. From the hair, to the nose, even the bone structure. "Damn," he whispered. "Well, no doubt we're related."

Belle's voice traveled from the doorway. "He was truly a handsome man."

Henry's eyes drifted up and he gave her a sympathetic smile. "How ya doing, Belle?" He got up and walked over, kissing her cheek.

She shrugged her shoulders, her grey hair moving as she did so. "Best I can, sweetheart." Belle patted his back. "Thanks for coming by."

"No problem. You know Dad would've, but things at the inn are just so busy."

"Oh, don't sweat it. Besides, I think this is the perfect job for the four of us. We always cared more about the books and such."

Henry nodded. "So, what's first?"

"What we've done for each room. We'll make keep boxes and then separate that per person in the family, then giveaway and toss."

"Sounds like a plan to me."

They got to work, making the boxes first before going through the office. Wren had retired from teaching 10 years prior to his death and Belle had already gone through all the important documents. All they had to go through were his books and other important items.

"I think his law books should go to Xiomara," Gideon said. "She's the only one of us that followed in his footsteps and became a lawyer."

Henry grinned. "She's like that."

"I want his globe," Alba picked it up, cradling it in her arms.

Her brother gave her a weird look. "What are you going to do with a globe? You're a fashion designer."

"I used to come into this office and sit on his lap, spinning it around and we'd plan trips I'd take when I was older." Alba spun it a bit. "It's how I planned my first backpacking trip through Europe."

Belle put her hand on her daughter's back. "I think he'd want you to have it, sweetheart."

They were creating more boxes for keep, but luckily, they were going to family members and it wouldn't be for Belle to have to bring with her to the smaller Cape home. As they were getting towards the end, Henry went to go take down the portrait of Wren and Neal on the wall from when the latter Cassidy-Gold man was in his pre-teens.

"Oh wait, keep that one up," Belle stopped him. "Mat says he wanted that in the office."

Henry frowned. "Okay."

Belle tilted her head. "Do you not want him to have it?"

"It's not that, I want my kids to keep whatever they want of Grandpa's." His step-grandmother and her kids looked at him expectedly, which made him sigh. "We had dinner with Mat the other night."

Belle grinned. "Well that's good news, isn't it?"

"I guess, but Mat told us you were letting him buy the house and I just…I don't get why he wants it."

"It'll stay in the family," Alba pointed out.

"It doesn't seem like he cared about that stuff before."

"Trust me, he does, more than you realized."

Henry's brows furrowed. "Anyway, I brought that up, considering he skipped Grandpa's funeral…"

Gideon groaned. "Henry, you didn't."

"Well, he did. And I still can't believe all of you are just okay with it."

"Would we have liked him there? Yes, but he had to work."

"When family dies, especially the grandfather that helped pay for you to go to college, you show up."

"Listen, we forgave him. It's time you did too."

"I want to. I do. I went to the dinner with every intention to. And then when we started talking about it…he started saying that Grandpa was the only person who knew him and that I didn't understand. Which is complete insanity, right?"

Belle, Gideon and Alba fell silent. Henry looked between each of them, trying to read their faces. This wasn't like them at all.

"I said…right?"

Alba sighed. "Come on, Henry…you can't be this stupid."

"Alba Collette!" Belle scolded.

She rolled her eyes. "I'm an adult." She turned to her nephew. "Do you really want to tell me that you think you gave your kids equal amounts of attention growing up?"

Henry scoffed. "Of course I did."

"Really?"

"Come on, Hen," Gideon's voice was a bit kinder. "You're a smart guy, a Yale graduate for Christ's sake. You can't see that you and Jacinda focused more on Lucy and Xiomara growing up."

Henry frowned, his stomach flip flopping a bit. It was one thing when Mat said it. He was angry, they were estranged. But Gideon and Alba told it like it was, they had witnessed everything. If they saw it…

No, it couldn't be true. They had focused on all the kids. He didn't have favorites. They weren't like that. Those types of parents were Victoria Tremaine, they worked so hard to be anything but them, and they had succeeded.

Hadn't they?

Henry looked over at his grandfather's widow. "Belle?"

Belle looked anywhere but him. "I want to try to find your grandfather's fountain pen. I have his engraved one, but…"

"Belle!"

She sighed, running her fingers through her hair, before her blue eyes met his hazel ones. "I think you had three kids, all the same age. That can't have been easy. I also know that you did your best and anything you did; you didn't do on purpose. I also think that Xiomara and Lucy were a lot easier to know how to handle, because they were more vocal, they got into more trouble and Mat was "easier" when he was little."

"But?"

"There were a lot of times that Mat would come here for advice…because he felt left out."

Henry's frown increased. "That's just impossible. Why didn't you tell us?"

"People did try, Henry. Everyone did, but it was hard. Mat was so independent and he didn't need you as much. So, I think naturally, he got left behind. And as a result, a lot of his attention…he got here."

Henry dropped down into his grandfather's desk hair, his mind spinning. He tried to think back to the triplets' childhood. There were parts of it that were foggy. Some days all he could remember was singing "Twinkle Twinkle" on repeat so they would stop crying, others it was the fun day trips they took. As he thought harder, there were times that family members said Mat didn't get talked as much as his sisters, but Henry hadn't thought much of that. Mat was quieter, there wasn't as much to report.

God, had he really been that stupid?

"But his attitude," Henry tried to reason out loud. "He turned into…well…I don't even know what."

Alba threw her hands up in the air. "For God's sake Henry, just admit you dropped the ball and pick it back up. Dad didn't admit it and he didn't talk to your father for years. Is that really what you want to get out of all of this?"

"Of course not! I'm just trying to figure all of this out! For you, it's been something you're aware of for 27 years. For me, not so much."

Belle put a hand up. "Okay, Alba I know you're trying to help but you're not. Henry's right, he didn't know. We can debate whether or not he should've later, but what's important is, he does now."

Alba sighed, perching herself on the desk, her purple top riding up a bit as she did. "You know more than anyone that college is a place to find yourself. For Mat, he was able to be his own person. He wasn't one of the triplets or from a small town in Connecticut. He was just Mat. So…he developed. And yeah…that guy's a bit full of himself…but it's because outside a few people…no one else ever was."

Henry stared down at his hands, tears in his eyes, feeling as though a million bricks had just fallen upon his head. How could he have made his own son feel like that? He had never wanted that for any of his kids. In his mind, he was always there for them. He and Jacinda had always said "Our door is open, we're here for you."

But how often had they actually opened their son's and asked how he was doing?

"How am I supposed to fix this?" He mumbled. "It's been 27 years."

"That's not impossible. You just have to show that you're willing to put in the work and that there's no magic fix," Gideon pointed out. "Maybe talk to your own dad about it, ask how he felt about making up with Papa."

Belle put a hand on Henry's shoulder. "You're lucky, Henry. You and your father never really had a huge falling out. The longest you ever went without talking was when you eloped behind his back and gave up the internship because of the triplets. That was a couple of weeks tops. Think about what you wanted most during that time from Neal."

The tears were falling now and Henry couldn't hold them back. "For him to just listen."

"Then I think that's where you have to start with Mat."


	45. Here Comes The Son Pt III

**This installment takes place before the first part, before the dinner with Henry & Jacinda.**

Mat knocked on the door of the yellow house that sat in the middle of Mockingbird Lane. He forgot just how many streets had those ridiculously cheery names, with equally pukeworthy houses. There was a reason he had wanted to escape the small town and get into the city. Stars Hollow had been home once, but there were times it just felt so…suffocating.

The door opened and Lucy stood there, looking decent for having a 2-month-old. Her dark curls were tousled and she wore a light pink sweater, paired with white leggings. In her arms was the baby in question, little Sebastian. She looked exhausted and yet held the baby with such love, in a way he had only seen parents ever do with their babies. He supposed it was something that just couldn't be explained to someone without kids.

"Hey," he said.

Lucy smiled. "Hey." She gave him a quick hug and then stepped to the side. "Come on in."

He walked into the cluttered living room, realizing how little had changed since he was last there. Lucy was a photographer and Melody taught dance, so both of them were artists. That lead to their home being a bit of organized chaos. Mismatched furniture, with fuzzy throw blankets folded up for use. There was a baby swing in the corner, along with a few other items clearly meant for his new nephew. Photographs practically swallowed the room whole, ranging from family to Melody's work to places they had visited.

"Is Mel home?" Mat asked, wondering about his sister-in-law.

"No," Lucy replied, placing her son into the swing and fiddling with a few buttons. "She's got a tap class tonight."

Xiomara exited the kitchen, wearing a blazer and jeans, her hair loose just like Lucy's. They weren't identical by any means but the sisters looked so much alike. "I am, though."

"Xo." Mat only got to hug her for a minute before feeling his legs be attacked.

"Uncle Matty!"

Mat looked down and found Xiomara's daughter standing there. At 5-years-old, she was so much like her mother: long dark curls, brown eyes and the widest smile you'd ever seen (though he noticed she was missing a tooth now).

Little Wren entered the family how most of the first babies in the family did, unexpectedly and young. Xiomara was in her finishing up her junior year of college when she discovered that she was pregnant. Needless to say, it was a shock, but her parents stood by her side and supported whatever she wanted to do. The father wasn't a boyfriend, moreso a friends with benefits situation and Xiomara gave him a choice, no guilt. He walked away and hadn't been seen since. When the baby was born, she was named Wren Catalina Cassidy, after the man Xiomara had always idolized most. Despite how difficult it was, Xiomara finished college and went to law school, graduating right before Wren died. He finally got one lawyer in the family like he always dreamed.

"Hey kiddo," Mat lifted up his niece and pressed a kiss to her cheek.

"Where have you been?" Wren questioned.

Mat chuckled. "Working, lots."

She dropped her head back dramatically. "That's boring."

"It is, isn't it?" He put her down. "Hey, did you bring some toys or something?"

"She did," Xiomara cut in. "Go play in Tia Lucy's room, the adults have to talk."

Wren sighed, but stalked away, the sound of a door closing could be heard a few minutes later. Mat sat down on the couch, Lucy and Xiomara sitting with him.

"So," Lucy said. "Talk to Mom and Dad much lately?"

Mat pursed his lips. "Mom some. Dad…not so much."

"You gotta just rip the band-aid off. You were able to open up to us, remember?"

He snorted. "That wasn't so much opening up. That was more…me being a huge dick."

Xiomara shrugged. "I think we all needed it."

The triplets had been super close as kids, doing everything together. Lucy and Xiomara were easily the ones in charge, with Mat following everything that they did. As they became teens, they slowly began to grow apart. Lucy and Xo were remaining the best of friends, but Mat resented them for how their parents acted, not realizing at the time that it wasn't their fault. It was partially why he chose Stanford. He had gotten into Yale and NYU too, but so had Xiomara was attending their dad's alma mater and Lucy was going to school in New York City. California was the furthest away, the place he could be his own person. Not a triplet, not a Cassidy, just Mat.

Then when Xiomara got pregnant, he felt like he got even more lost in the shuffle with his parents. Every conversation was about making room for the baby at their house since she was moving out of the dorms and back with them, how awful the father was and everything they would need. They spent a trip out to California looking at numerous baby stores with Mat in tow, feeling the anger fester as they didn't even ask about his studies or how he was doing in school, worrying far more about their pregnant daughter.

It all lead to a huge blowup come that Christmas. Xiomara was only a month from her due date and it was all anyone could talk about. Mat was drinking and spent most of the time hiding out. When the three were alone in their dad's old room at their Grandpa's, trying to get him to join the party and Lucy made a joke about him being a hermit, he just snapped.

"Maybe I just need some air from the damn Xiomara show!"

The fight had probably been the worst they had ever had. It was lucky that loud music was playing and no one noticed them gone, because they went at it. Their entire childhood was dragged out. They replayed most moments, with Lucy and Xiomara vehemently defending their parents at first…until they couldn't. Suddenly, it was all laid out in front of them. Mat would later apologize for taking it out on them, as it wasn't their fault, but they felt guilty anyway. Even so, no one knew how to tell their parents.

"I just don't think they want to hear it," Mat said.

"They're not bad people," Lucy told him. "They fucked up, and I don't even think they realize it."

"That's the shit of it. If they did, that would be one thing. But they don't and it just…I don't want to have to be the one to say it."

Xiomara shrugged. "But if you don't, how is anything ever going to get done?"

Mat sighed, thinking over his sisters' words. A timer went off in the kitchen, which got Lucy to her feet and going in there. Wren started calling from the bedroom and Xiomara excused herself, heading down the hall. Mat pushed himself up, walking over to the swing and picking up Sebastian. He looked down into his nephew's eyes, letting him wiggle and coo, feeling a tug at his heart. He hadn't been there much after Wren was born, he started working in New York. She was getting older, now Sebastian was here.

His mind floated to the past few months, all the doctors and the tests. The chest pains that had started and the fears. Sitting in the doctor's office and wondering what would happen if he didn't make things right with his family. Finding out that he had the same condition as his grandfather, but that he was younger, it could be treated with medication and exercise. He would live a long healthy life.

"No need to make a bucket list," his doctor had said.

That didn't mean that there shouldn't be one.

Lucy came back into the room, smiling at the two of them. "Wow, who knew you were good with babies."

"You don't know, I could have one, one day."

"There's still time, we're not 30, yet."

"We've got nothing but time." Mat's eyes stayed on the baby's before looking back at her. "You know how Nana Belle wants to move, but she doesn't know what to do with the house?"

"Yeah, she's afraid of strangers owning it."

"Well…I think I'm gonna buy it."

Lucy tilted her head. "Really?"

"Yeah." Mat looked back down at Sebastian. "Life is way too short to be far away from family."


	46. Here Comes The Son Pt IV

**A conclusion to this arc.**

Henry had always loved the city as a little kid. He'd check out books from the library and read about the different types of skyscrapers, plan out trips about what he could do with his father. They would take the train in, walking or going around by taxi if necessary. The buildings seemed even bigger to his 5-year-old brain, but he loved every minute of it. They went a few times a year, playing in the park and grabbing pizza. If Neal could save up some money, on a very rare occasion, they'd see a show as well. Henry always really loved those days.

As he drove into Manhattan that evening, however, he didn't feel as excited. It had been a month since the disastrous dinner with Mat and he knew it was time to talk things out. Jacinda and Mat had a conversation of their own a few nights prior, and it had gone pretty well, but Henry knew that he and Mat's relationship wasn't as strong as theirs. Even during the time that Henry was upset with him for missing the funeral, they still spoke and managed to get along for the most part. This was only going to go so well.

The one pro was that they weren't meeting at a restaurant or anywhere public. As Henry got deeper into the city, he found parking near Mat's apartment building. The fees were near extortion, but he told himself that it would be worth it. Henry made his way over to the building, being stopped by the doorman.

"I'm here to see Matias Cassidy," he explained.

The doorman paged for Mat, before pressing a button on the elevator. The whole thing was so fancy, even for Henry who had gone to Yale. The elevator lead him up to the penthouse suite where Mat lived, it was a beautiful loft overlooking the city. Despite being a complete slob as a teenager, it was somehow very well maintained. It was open concept, all white furniture in the living room and stainless-steel appliances in the kitchen. The only hint of a mess was a grey suit jacket draped over a chair.

"Mat!" Henry called out.

A door in the distance opened, Mat stepping out. For the first time in a while, he didn't seem dressed in a stuffy suit. He wore a grey Stanford t-shirt and black sweatpants, his hair wet from the shower. He gave his dad a small nod of acknowledgement.

"Sorry, I was late coming back from the office. Just got out of the shower when Felix called and said you were here."

"It's fine."

"Do you want something to drink? I have scotch, beer, wine…"

"How about just good, old fashioned water?"

Mat cocked his head. "I've got that too."

He walked into the kitchen, Henry trailing behind. To his surprise, there were pictures of family around. Most were of his sisters and grandparents, but there were a few of his childhood too. The very one of the father and son at the latter's graduation that Henry had in his and Jacinda's kitchen was on Mat's fridge as well. Henry found a bottle of sparkling water tossed into his hand, while Mat took out one for himself.

"So," Mat said. "Mom and I had a big, emotional talk. I guess that's why you're here too."

Henry sighed. "I guess there's just a lot that we never talked about. Like how you felt growing up."

Mat shrugged. "You can't change the past, Dad."

"Maybe not. But I can still know how you felt." Mat didn't say anything, he just played with the lid of the water bottle. "Look, Matty, my dad and grandpa didn't talk much for years. Sure, they were civil or as civil as they could be. But they didn't have a real conversation and they argued a hell of a lot. The two of them sucked at communication for so long. I remember my dad telling me that he didn't want that for me and him, I didn't want it for us. So, just tell me how you really feel."

Mat sighed, putting the bottle of water down on the counter. He ran his fingers through hair, looking so much like his mother when he did so.

"Sometimes I wondered if I was being overdramatic, too emotional, you know?" He gnawed on his lower lip. "Who gets jealous that their sisters are getting attention? But as time went on, I saw that Pop-Pop and Nana Belle were able to handle it with Alba and Gideon. As were Grandma and Grandpa with the kids they fostered. They managed to balance it. You and Mom though…"

"We always focused on Lucy and Xiomara? Always?"

"It's not like I was neglected 24/7 and I have no happy childhood memories. I do, don't get me wrong. It's just that they came first, always. They were more vocal, they got up to more trouble. Their needs were more present."

Henry allowed the words to sink in, despite already hearing them from Alba and Gideon as well. "When did you really realize it the first time?"

Mat didn't even have to think about it. "We were 11. The girls were both in dance. They had a recital that landed on a day I got to give a really great speech about an invention we'd use to change the world. Instead of one of you going to each, you both just went to the recital. You said that they had asked you and it was important to them." He shrugged. "Never mind what was important to me."

Henry cringed. He could remember that moment so clearly in his mind now. They had been so proud of Mat for his speech being picked, but Lucy had nearly been in tears when she found out that one of her parents would've missed out on her recital. They figured it wouldn't be the end of the world, Mat had seemed fine when they left to go. Clearly, he hadn't, it was the beginning of the end.

"Oh God, Mat. I am so…"

"No, Dad. It wasn't just that. There was so much more and I didn't just resent you for so long over missing a speech."

"Still. That means I majorly fucked up as a dad." He clenched his eyes shut, then opened them, stepping forward. "I am sorry, I am so sorry."

"I didn't want this," Mat said, raising his hands as if he was trying to protect himself. "I was fine with how things were."

"Yeah, but I wasn't. Mat, I thought we had a better relationship and I don't want things to stay how they are. I don't love Lucy and Xiomara more than you. You know that, don't you?"

"Of course I do."

"You're right. They were more vocal about what they wanted or needed. We just assumed that you would come to us…we never thought…" Henry clenched his fist. "We were stupid."

"You weren't the worst parents in the world. You loved me, you provided for me…"

"That doesn't make it okay."

"No, it doesn't."

Henry sighed, leaning against the counter. "So, what do we do?"

Mat shrugged. "I don't know. What did Pop-Pop and Grandpa do?"

"Friday Night Dinners and therapy, eventually."

"Well…then that's what we do too."

Henry looked up at him. "Are you serious?"

Mat nodded. "I am." He took a step closer to his dad. "Look, I don't know how we're going to fix all of this in a short period of time…but I know we can. I'm moving closer, I'll be living in Pop-Pop's old house. You and Mom can come over on Friday nights. We'll have dinners. We…can have therapy together. We'll figure it out in time."

"I'd really like that, son. And again, I'm sorry. I am so…so sorry. For everything."

Mat was quiet for a minute, picking at a loose thread on his shirt. The only sounds that could be heard, were the city below and the antique clock that sat on the wall-a gift from Wren when Mat moved into the apartment.

"I wish I went to the funeral," Mat whispered.

Henry tilted his head. "What was that?"

"I should've gone to the funeral."

"Mat…I don't want to…"

"No, Dad. You were always right about that. No matter how much I was there for Pop-Pop before he died, it doesn't matter that I wasn't there to say goodbye."

"He knew you loved him. He was so proud of you, Mat."

"I remember getting the call," Mat said, staring past his father. "It was you. We knew it was coming, there wasn't anything we could do about it obviously. Still, I never thought it would. One minute he was alive, giving me advice about business and the next…he's just gone…" He bit his lip. "I was selfish…I couldn't do it. I couldn't face everyone; I couldn't be sad. So, I used a lame excuse. And as much as you hate me for it, Dad…I hate myself for it more."

Those words rocked Henry's soul so hard. "Oh, Matty. I could never hate you."

He stepped forward, putting a hand on his son's shoulder. A tear fell down Mat's face, followed by another. Henry could feel them well up in his own. He pulled his son into his arms for a hug, the father and son embracing for more than a handshake for the first time in over 5 years.


	47. Sisterhood

**Henry is not the only one with a complicated family history. Ivy comes to visit Jacina after her postpartum depression diagnosis.**

Ivy adjusted her designer purse as she rang the doorbell. Her eyes shifted around the neighborhood. She really wasn't in Greenwich anymore. It would never make sense to her why her step-sister would choose to move here of all places. On the way here, she passed two places for cat paraphernalia. Two. How many feline lovers inhabited Stars Hollow? Was kitty litter even safe for babies? Ivy didn't know much about them to begin with.

She had only seen her nieces and nephew once since they had left the hospital. Jacinda and Henry had managed to pack them up and bring them to the Golds. However, it was a huge chore and Ivy acknowledged that. As much as she hated to admit it, she missed Jacinda and she was worried about her. So, she made the 30-minute drive and wound up in the town filled with white picket fences.

The door opened and Jacinda stood on the other side. Her frizzy curls were thrown back in a mess ponytail. She wore starry leggings and an oversized shirt that read "Granny's Bed & Breakfast". Despite the bags under her eyes and spit up on her cheek, she looked a hell of a lot better than she had the last time they had seen each other. A baby was in her arms, dressed in pink. Had to be one of the girls, but for the life of her Ivy couldn't tell them apart.

Jacinda gave her a confused look. "What are you doing here?"

"Can I not come see my sister?"

"You never do."

Ivy rolled her eyes. "First time for everything."

Jacinda stared at her a minute longer before sighing. "I'm guessing Anastasia told you about my breakdown in the park."

She shrugged. "We're WASPs, Jacinda. Nothing in this family stays secret very long."

There was a brief silence, before Jacinda finally stepped to the side. Ivy walked into the house, not surprised at the clutter. It was actually a lot cleaner than she expected. There was an empty pack in play in the center of the living room, surrounded by other age appropriate baby toys. A high-pitched aquatic carton played over the television.

"Don't you have two more of those?" Ivy asked, gesturing to the baby. "And a husband?"

"Xiomara and Mat are napping. Henry's at work." Jacinda settled into the oversized green armchair. "Is that why you're here? They all wanted to make sure I was okay?"

"No one hired me." Ivy plopped down on the ottoman. Lucy, she realized by process of elimination, stretched in her mother's arms. "Besides, I don't do anything anyone wants me to anyway."

"Of course not."

There was another long pause of silence. When the girls were little, the three of them were attached at the hip. They did everything together, especially Ivy and Jacinda. Every tea party, pillow fight and game of make believe was done together. They didn't even use the term step-sister. Then, they got older and Victoria started stressing it more. She made it clear that Jacinda was the only one in the house that wasn't any of their blood. In fact, she even resented Ivy for not being Marcus'. Anastasia was the perfect "pure" daughter. While most blended families heard "DNA doesn't make a family", the opposite was what theirs was built on.

By the time they were teens, they had drifted apart. Ivy went to Columbia for college. She wasn't at all surprised when she got word of Henry and Jacinda's wedding, they seemed perfect for each other. Still, it hurt to think that she hadn't been invited. Then she caught wind of the triplets and Ivy felt even more disconnected but it just seemed too late. She didn't even talk to her own mother anymore, but she didn't know the first thing about reconnecting with her own sisters. Especially when Anastasia was still talking to Victoria.

Jacinda, though, she was different. She was on the outside like her. And finding out that her sister was in a place of darkness and had been contemplating nearly ending it all, it scared her. She couldn't lose her. It was time to get back to how things used to be, no matter what it took.

"So…you had two girls," Ivy whispered.

Jacinda nodded. "A boy."

"Yeah…but sisters. There's power in sisterhood."

There was a pause. "There is."

"They'll always be there for each other. Even if they fight and think they hate each other…they really don't."

"Of course not." Jacinda cuddled Lucy closer. "How could they ever?"

"And they worry about each other. When they're in trouble."

Jacinda bit her lip. "Well…sometimes they're fine."

Drizella gave her a Look. "Really?"

Jacinda shrugged. "With medication, therapy and time they will be."

"Maybe their sister should have been there."

"Hey." Jacinda took hold of her hand. "There's no way that you could have known."

Ivy didn't know what to say to that. She was the big sister. She felt like she should've known. Yet, half the time, Jacinda ended up feeling like hers.

A shriek rang out through the baby monitor on the table. Jacinda startled a bit, pulling her hand away from Ivy.

"Here, can you take Lucy for a minute?"

Ivy's brows furrowed. "Oh? Me? Babies? I don't…"

"She'll be fine, she just ate and had a diaper change. You've held one before, right?"

"When I was like 16…"

"You'll be fine, trust me. Just support the head."

Jacinda practically thrusted the baby into her arms and dashed up the stairs. Drizella stared down at her niece as if she were a ticking time bomb. Lucy looked less than impressed herself.

"Well….hello…" Ivy's muscles loosened a bit and she held Lucy closer to her. "I'm your aunt. Ivy. I've never really…liked you creatures before, but I suppose you're cute. You look like your mom. Don't see much of your dad in you."

Lucy belched, which lead to her vomiting all over Ivy's blue dress. Her nose wrinkled in disgust.

"Okay, so I don't think we can be friends until you're older and out of diapers."

Jacinda walked back down a few minutes later, holding Mat. "How are we doing…" She spotted the two and a laughter escaped her lips. "Oops."

Ivy rolled her eyes. "I told you I'm not a baby person."

"Well, clearly she likes you. She only does that with me and Henry."

"Hmm…I don't know how positive that is."


	48. Harvard Red, Yale Blue

**Based on "Let the Games Begin" & "The Roadtrip to Harvard" from GG. The start of Henry's process on deciding he wants to go to Yale.**

The Harvard obsession started long before Henry could remember. He always had a Harvard sweater that was far too larger for him. The crimson cloth was used as a blanket or pillow when he was little and would be his show-and-tell piece more times than he could count. Whenever friends traveled around the Cambridge area, they'd stop by a gift shop and grab a postcard or pennant. The wall of Harvard was created at Granny's, then traveled over to the house that Neal purchased. All the Harvard memorabilia even had its own box.

Henry knew Neal had dreamed of going to the Ivy League university, but those dreams were dashed when Emma got pregnant. Sometimes Henry wondered was Harvard his dream or Neal's. Then he actually walked the plush green lawns of the university. He was 13 years old, wearing the crimson sweatshirt with frayed ends that he had been gifted as a baby, it finally fit him properly. Neal had driven him on a surprise trip to Boston, just the two of them. They ended up at Harvard, on an unofficial tour. With a cup of hot cocoa and cinnamon from a coffee cart in one hand and a guide in the other, Henry looked around the campus in awe. Several libraries, the class buildings. He could see himself there, reading a book under a huge oak tree.

The two Cassidy boys gorged themselves on Harvard memorabilia in the gift shop and Henry hung it on the Harvard wall proudly when they returned to Storybrooke a few days later. He was sure that Harvard was where he'd go to school.

And then he took his tour of Yale University.

Henry was 16 years old when Wren approached him with the offer. Despite his grandfather being a professor at the university, Henry had never stepped foot on the grounds. His time with Wren consisted of Friday Night Dinners, movies and the occasional golf game. Henry knew Neal wouldn't be thrilled with this, so he just told his dad that he was just going with Wren to something for Chilton. Neal bought it, and Henry felt the guilt seep through his gut.

They started their day early, surprisingly not near where Wren taught. "You said that you're interested in journalism, correct?" Wren asked.

Henry nodded. "Yes."

"I thought I'd show you the English department."

Henry followed his grandfather around, looking in at the different classrooms and buildings. He was introduced to different professors and discussed various books. Maybe some kids would've been bored, but Henry found it fun. As he entered the largest library on campus, he was enchanted by the first editions and the smells of the books.

Eventually, the two settled down on a bench outside one of the buildings. Wren balanced his cane against it, making sure it wouldn't fall. Henry looked around the campus, it was beautiful which was a contrast to New Haven overall. It had some nice places, but for the most part it wasn't much to sneeze at. It was hard to believe this hidden gem was here.

"Thank you for taking me here, Grandpa," Henry said, smiling.

Wren nodded, a look of nostalgia falling on his face. "I used to take your dad here often, even before I worked for the university."

"Really?"

"Yes. We'd walk around the greens and get a bite to eat in the dining halls. He'd normally just want all the ice cream he could stomach." Henry laughed. "One day he told me 'Papa, I'm going to go here, just like you did'."

Wren starred forward for a minute and Henry wasn't sure what to say. All his life, his dad had said he had planned on going to Harvard. Had there been a point when Neal planned on being a Yale-man like Wren and Malcom?

Just as quickly as the nostalgic look came, it disappeared. "Funny how we remember things," Wren said, smiling.

Henry smiler himself. "Yeah."

Wren showed Henry some other spots of the university, from the bulldog Dan statue (their beloved mascot) to where he taught and his office. In the dining hall, the two ran into a few of his students, who were willing to e-mail Henry with some application advice. Henry found himself agreeing.

At the end of the tour, Wren stopped in the gift shop while Henry answered some texts from friends. When Wren came back out, he had a Yale sweatshirt and pendant.

Back at home, Henry stared at his Harvard wall that had been 16 years in the making. His original sweatshirt had nearly been lost in a dryer accident and was now pinned next to one of the flags, one that fit in the closet. A bag from the Yale gift shop felt heavy in Henry's backpack.

He knew he couldn't just apply to one university, his dad did to. Harvard was a good choice, but he'd need backups too. He had been looking at Columbia and possibly Princeton.

Pulling the sweatshirt out, Henry added it to his closet. The pendant sat in his hands, the navy blue cloth stared up at him, warm, inviting. Harvard would expel him before he arrived if he put it up on the wall.

Instead, Henry opened his closet and started a "Yale door".


	49. Harvard Red, Yale Blue Pt II

Friday night dinners had gotten easier over the years, especially since Neal and Wren had worked on their relationship. These days, they were more of a fun thing to than a formality. Of course there were some Fridays that Neal would rather spend taking Emma out or doing something with Henry, but he had made a promise. Over time, he had been paying Wren off for Chilton but he knew that they would continue the dinners even when his debt was down to zero. They were a family now.

Henry was older and for the most part, in charge of his own laundry. One Friday afternoon, however, Neal found one of his son's sweatshirts in the living room. He plucked it off the couch and headed into the bedroom. Henry was still at school and wouldn't be back for a bit, so Neal originally planned to be in and out. Then, he found a stack of pamphlets on his desk. A small smile went across Neal's face. Henry was a junior and had been looking at back up schools for awhile now. While Neal knew his son's top choice was Harvard, he had grown up in the private school sector. You couldn't just apply to one college, safety schools were important. Even, if in his biased opinion, Henry was a shoe in for Yale.

Neal dropped the sweatshirt on the back of Henry's chair and picked up the stack of pamphlets. Harvard was on the top, of course, with all of their favorite things highlighted. He expected to see Columbia next. Henry had spoken about the school quite a bit and it was a little closer than Harvard. Neal was in for a shock, however, when he turned over the crimson pamphlet to find a navy blue one.

Just like Harvard, Henry had put post-it notes throughout it. He highlighted Yale's English program and distance. He even circled Wren's name and picture on the back. It had just as many, if not more post-its than Harvard.

Henry had never mentioned Yale before, but Wren sure had and often. When he found out that Henry's first choice was Harvard, he was appalled. Neal always told his dad to keep his opinions to himself. The last they talked about it, Wren had said that Henry could change his mind. Was this Wren's way of speeding it along? Trying to pressure his grandson into going to his old school, so he could have Henry live the experiences that Neal never did. Tradition Neal's ass, his son wanted to go to Harvard. If he got in, he was going.

"Please don't say anything tonight," Emma pleaded when Neal ranted to her that night as they got ready in their room. Neal hadn't mentioned the pamphlets to Henry, but was now simmering like a kettle ready to be poured.

Neal shook his head. "Why shouldn't I?"

"Because we haven't spoken to Henry yet," Emma pointed out as she pulled her signature leather jacket over her black shirt. "We don't know if he came up with Yale on his own."

"Please, this has my dad written all over it. Henry almost exclusively talks about Harvard."

"Neal, babe," Emma took his hand. "I love you but I also love these peaceful dinners. We finally all get along. Do not ruin this dinner, please. We do not need another 10 year long feud."

"You weren't here for the first one."

"Maybe not but I still don't want to live through it."

And so, Neal agreed to behave. He was polite, he gave his coat to his father's maid. He sipped the scotch he was offered by his father. He listened to Belle and Henry talk about the books they were reading over dinner. Gideon and Alba talked about their various sports and activities. Neal was quiet.

Until the after dinner drinks.

Belle has tucked the twins up in bed before joining them with a glass of wine. Emma was finishing up detailing the last town festival, as she sat besides Wren.

"That sounds like so much fun," Belle said. "We haven't been out in ages. I think the last time was Wren's alumnus dinner. It was so fun to get dressed up and be around other adults, it's why I love our weekly dinners."

Neal clenched his drink, taking a long sip. "How is everyone at Yale?"

"They're good," Wren replied. "Nothing ever seems to change."

"I'd say," Neal muttered into his port.

Wren arched an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

"Nothing."

Silence filled the living room. Frank Sinatra played over the record player, adding a soundtrack to the awkward moment. Out of the corner of his eye, Neal watched his wife pour herself another glass.

"Is there something wrong?" Belle asked.

"No," Emma said, quickly. "Right, Neal?"

Neal set his glass on the table, ignoring the coaster. "I know you've been talking to Henry about Yale, Pop."

Henry had been sipping on his Pepsi and nearly choked on the carbonated beverage. Emma put a quick hand on his back. Wren's eyes widened momentarily, but like a true Gold man, he regained composure. Belle was the only one in the room who still looked confused.

"Dad…" Henry started.

"Henry, it's fine, I'm not upset with you," Neal said pointedly.

Wren rolled his eyes. "Oh, but you are with me."

"You couldn't just accept that he wanted to go to Harvard. You had to control it, like you do everything!"

"That's not true," Henry interrupted. "Grandpa took me on a tour of Yale, just to show me my options. After that, I…"

Neal felt his stomach turn. "Grandpa did what?"

Henry looked back down at his glass. "Right, you didn't know about that."

Neal turned back to his dad. "You took my son on a secret tour of Yale?"

"Oh yes, I kidnapped him in the middle of the night and by candlelight, forced him to tour with a gun." Wren rolled his eyes again. "I simply gave my grandson a tour of where I work and a perspective college for him."

"Without telling me."

"That wasn't my idea."

"Oh, I'm sure."

"Grandpa's telling the truth, Dad," Henry's voice was firm, steady, almost grown up. "I didn't want to tell you, because I knew you'd get upset."

"I don't care if you want to hang out with your grandfather, but he can be controlling. He was upset that I rejected him paying for me to go to Yale and now that you wanted to go Harvard."

"I'm sure Wren was just giving Henry options," Belle objected.

"I think I know him well enough to know what he's pulling."

"My boy," Wren said. "I'm not pulling anything. If Henry wants to go to Harvard, that's fine. But he also could go to a number of universities, including Yale. I gave him an option. I didn't coach him, I just showed him. Did you ever consider that me both being an alumnus and working for the school would make it easier for him to get in? I was only trying to help my grandson achieve his goals. Just like I would if he wanted to go to Harvard."

Neal shook his head. "You've been against Harvard since day one…"

"And you've been pushing it since day one!" Wren snapped. "You tell me that I'm controlling but have you considered putting your son in a Harvard sweater at age 2, doesn't make you any better than me?"

Neal's mouth snapped shut and he stared at his dad, wide eyed. He wasn't like Wren, no. He had simply loved Harvard for a long time and Henry had too. He had never pushed the dream on him, it was just what Henry had wanted.

Hadn't it?

"I…" Neal looked over at Henry, who's face was beat red.

"Jack's house is like…a 10 minute walk from here. I think I'm gonna spend the night there."

"Henry, wait. You don't have to leave."

"Please, stay," Belle added. "Your father and grandfather are just being silly."

Still, Henry stood. "Thank you Grandpa, Belle for the meal." He looked over at his parents. "Jack drives, he can give me a ride home in the morning."

He kissed Emma's cheek and she squeezed his hand, before he walked out of the room. They could hear him thanking the maid for his coat before the door shut. More silence, aside from Blue Eyes, filled the room. Finally, Emma clapped her hands onto her thighs.

"I am truly so glad that you all are deciding the kid's future, truly. Instead of just asking him what he wants," she said. "It's not like we haven't seen that backfire tremendously."

"Emma's right," Belle said, softly. "Neither of you talked to him, you just yelled at each other. It's not about what you want, it's about what he wants. Harvard, Yale, a community college."

Emma sent a grateful smile in Belle's direction before getting up and leaving the room. Neal sat there for a moment, letting the night's argument consume him, wondering if Wren was right.

"Neal!" Emma yelled from the entry way. "I'm not sticking around for round two! Let's go!"

Neal limply got up and followed his wife out without a goodbye to Belle or his father. He had a lot to think about.


End file.
